Mist and Leaves
by Wanderer D
Summary: A twist of fate gives Haku a new and different chance at life.- R&R Please!
1. Chapter 1: Time Travel

**Myst and Leaves**

**by Wanderer D**

AN: I've always wanted to write a Naruto fic... especially if it involves Haku! Tell me what you think!

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan-fiction. Written by a fan, for fans. No infringement is intended, all characters belong to their respective creators/license holders.

**Chapter 1**

Life changes in seconds.

She had heard once that moving faster and faster would let you escape time since everything else moved so much slower. Seconds could stretch to minutes, minutes to hours... And it seemed to her, at the start of the fight that it was true. She could see ALL their movements in slow motion. Every twitch of a shoulder betraying a punch, a flicker of the eye warning her of a hasty feint.

The life of a shinobi was not easy. The life of a kunoichi less so. But the life of a tool... it was simple. It lived as long as it was useful. Tools were to be discarded once they couldn't serve their purpose. Even swords, if they broke, had to be almost melted into a new thing altogether before becoming the tool they should be.

She was a tool. A willing, loving, feeling tool. Breathing, growing... but now her purpose was coming to an end.

The young shinobi, Naruto, had exploded in a strange red chakra; freeing himself and the Uchiha from her mirrors. Part of this failure was her own fault for underestimating Konoha shinobi. And thinking she could spare them both.

Now, as she struggled to move faster than ever before, she merged into her ice mirror. The world slowed down, like it always did, but she could see the Copy Ninja Kakashi moving faster still. He was so fast even teleporting she could just stand between his attack and her master.

o.0.o

Naruto watched horrified as Kakashi's Chidori pierced Haku's chest. One second the Mist ninja had been standing in front of him, the next he was taking a deadly attack to allow Zabuza to live. Naruto felt his stomach grow cold as if it had been dunked in icy water.

"_This can't be happening!"_ he thought furiously as he ran towards the falling ninja. He was vaguely aware that he was screaming Haku's name.

o.0.o

Red eyelids slowly opened revealing eyes the size of a standing adult human. They gazed into darkness as it felt its chakra flare. The Kyubi growled and tried to suppress the sudden absorption of chakra, but to his surprise found that he couldn't. The infinitesimal amount of respect he had towards his jailor grew considerably. It could only be the kit's willpower that was divesting him of the chakra.

The bijuu concentrated, trying to find out what the kit wanted his chakra for. It was bound to be amusing.

o.0.o

"Weren't you always together?!" Naruto screamed, desperation and anger coursing through his body. A slight red mist started to surround him. "Don't you feel anything at all?!"

Zabuza looked over his shoulder at Naruto. "Haku was a tool. I used him as Gatou used me. In the world of shinobi you can either use or be used. I wanted his blood. I have no regrets.

o.0.o

She knew she should be dead by now. She could see Gatou kicking her face as she lay there on a pool of her own blood. She felt absolute detachment from her dead body, but she could not leave either Naruto or Zabuza. She could hear every word her master said, and although logically she understood he was right, she couldn't help but feel a stabbing pain with each of his words. As Naruto kept screaming, more pain cursed through her soul. _"Why am I still here?"_

o.0.o

Naruto pointed an acussing finger at Zabuza. "You are still my enemy!" His gaze shifted to Haku's dead body. "He really loved you! Enough to sacrifice himself for you! He loved you that much! He threw away his dreams! He died as a tool!"

As the red chakra intensified and Kakashi took a step back, his eyes observing Naruto carefully.

"Tell me!" Naruto fought a loosing battle with his tears. "If I become as strong as you are, will I also become like you?" his chakra exploded. "It isn't supposed to be like this!"

o.0.o

Haku listened to the argument with a small smile. "Master, even now that I am dead and secrets don't matter, you honor me by hiding my true gender as was my wish." When she looked up she saw that tears were starting to fall from Zabuza's eyes.

It was then that Naruto's chakra exploded and she was washed in the red spiraling mist. She felt herself being pulled away. "No! Master! Zabuza-sama!" she tried to hold on to him, only for her hand to pass right through him. "Please! I don't want to leave you! I want to live!"

A sudden growl stopped her screaming. It was dark, although she could still feel herself spinning. A voice, cold and condescending, crackling like flames and strong as thunder echoed around her.

"**So you are the one he wants to save."** the voice said. **"You are young, but potentially powerful... for a human."**

"What his happening?!" Haku asked the darkness.

"**What is it that you want?"**

"I want to protect the people important to me... I want to work with those people, I want to fight for them... I want to make their dreams come true... That is my dream..." Haku found herself answering, repeating the words she had said to Naruto in the forest, just adding the hyperactive ninja as one of her precious people.

The voice snorted. **"You have become a precious person to my jailor. You are lucky human, that he caught me unaware, because this will never happen again." **the voice said with malice**, "You have been given a second chance. Use it wisely."**

"Wha..."

The sudden burst of light blinded her... and then she was standing outside a familiar house. She could not remember why it looked so familiar.

"Haku-chan!" a voice called behind her. She twisted around in shock, barely registering the voice, but completely aware that she knew it.

"M-mom..." Haku stared up at her mother, looking as young and alive as the last time she had seen her, just before...

Her mother knelt in front of her and held her close. "Don't cry, Haku-chan. I'm sorry I slapped you, but you must never, ever show anyone your power, okay? They wouldn't understand."

"M-mom..." Haku shook her head as she slowly hugged her mother back with as much strength as she could muster. She remember this... but then that meant...

Haku looked up to see the horrified face of her father slowly twist into hate. The man, for she could not call her father anymore, slowly stepped away. After a few seconds she could see him running towards the village.

A feeling of dread overcame her.

"Haku-chan? Are you okay? You're trembling..."

"Mom..." Haku reluctantly stepped back from the embrace. "We have to leave... father... he saw me use my power..." as she spoke, she remembered the strange voice... "Do we have family somewhere else?"

Her mother had gone absolutely pale. "I..." she shook her head. "I must speak with your father... I am sure I can explain... oh, Haku... wait here..."

"No! Mom! Wait!" Haku shouted as the woman stood up and ran towards the village.

o.0.o

Haku ran as fast as her short legs would allow. She didn't have enough chakra to create her mirrors; she barely had enough to create ice senbon. In mere minutes she was breathing hard and had to stop in the middle of the road.

Her heart beat was like a war-drum trapped within her chest, she wanted to go on, but her body was weak.

Desperately she tried to walk further and managed to do so at a crawling pace for a couple of miles, but finally, sheer will wasn't enough and she fell, face first.

"Oi, you okay kid?" a voice asked.

Struggling she turned to look at the man seating on the side of the road. She had been so concentrated on carrying on that she had barely paid any attention whatsoever to her surroundings. A big mistake for any shinobi.

The man was wearing a red coat, long spiky hair was held back by a forehead protector with the kanji for "oil" boldly written on it. He was sitting by the road, holding a notebook idly on one hand, a brush on the other. He seemed bored out of his mind.

"I heard there were some hot baths around here..." the man said, looking around at the mountains. "But all I've found is snow. You wouldn't know where they are?"

Haku looked at the man for a moment, studying him. "Are you a ninja?"

The man's eyes quickly changed mood, confirming Haku's suspicions. The man didn't answer, but he was concentrated completely on Haku now.

"I need help... I'm not strong enough..." Haku struggled to stand. "My mother is going to be killed... we have to stop them."

Haku's head spun and blots of black appeared in her vision, she felt herself begin to fall.

**Next Chapter:**

"_Where am I supposed to go?"_

"_Who can you trust kid?"_

"_Only one person I know of..."_

"_I can't take you all the way there..."_

Will there be a next chapter? Well, only you can tell me if it's worth reading! Leave a note!


	2. Chapter 2: Travels

Myst and Leaves

by Wanderer D

**Chapter 2**

"Hey kid, open your eyes." a voice said.

Her eyelids felt heavy, but she fought to gain consciousness and slowly they opened, revealing the world around her.

She couldn't remember much, other than a dream where she had been with her mother again.

"Okay kid, that's better. You were just exhausted. How old are you anyway?"

Haku concentrated on the tall man crouching next to her. Where was Zabuza-sama?

"Now, what were you saying about your mother?"

Memories flashed back into her mind, the battle on the bridge, Naruto, Zabuza-sama, Kakashi... the voice...

Sitting up she looked around before concentrating on the strange ninja. "How long was I out?!"

The man looked at the sky, seemingly uninterested. "Just a few minutes kid. You were babbling incoherences." he looked down at her. "That means you were saying things that don't make sense."

"I know what incoherent means." Haku growled.

The man arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Either you're very smart or you are older than you look."

Haku shook her head. "Look... I promise you I'll tell you everything you want... but help me save my mom. My dad is going to kill her."

o.0.o

As the ninja ran, carrying Haku on his back she studied his moves. So far everything pointed to an above-average ninja. His speed was amazing, for one, and his balance, and efficiency of movements indicated long periods of training and experience.

"We're almost there kid..." the man said.

Haku nodded, not daring to speak. She had promised this man to tell him everything, but Zabuza-sama had always instructed her on the value of information. She decided that she would trust him depending on his actions, and when she had found more about him.

She heard the man swear, and immediately looked up. She could see a plume of smoke in the center of the village. As seconds passed, she noticed her new acquaintance had accelerated even more. She could now see her father organizing the villagers into the mob she remembered had killed her mother. But something was different now...

"Mom!" Haku shouted as she made out the figure in the center of the town's square. Fire was begging to bite her toes as her own father cursed at her for bringing disgrace to his clan. She was in a bad state, Haku could see her clothes were torn almost to shreds, and blood was already drying in several places. Her hair came down on her face, covering it.

Haku's shout drew the attention of the villagers, but as they turned, the ninja moved faster than she thought was possible without teleporting. Even when Zabuza had escaped with her from other ninja, he had never moved this fast.

As necks turned to look at the origin of her voice, the ninja and Haku had already passed between the villagers. When they saw nothing and turned back to look at the fire, Haku's mother and her father were gone.

o.0.o

Haku's father, a man who she could only remember with deep hatred and resentment crashed against a tree, hitting it with his shoulder. He fell down to the grass and howled in pain as the ninja settled the badly hurt woman on a patch of grass and leaves.

Haku quickly looked her over, calling all her knowledge of the human body to try and help her, but as the wounds quickly became apparent, her heart lurched... she was going to see her die. Again.

Her mother moaned in pain, and the ninja shook his head, looking at the younger girl with pity.

"Who are you?" a her father grunted in pain. "I think you broke my shoulder!"

"That is not all that will happen to you!" the ninja snapped. "I cannot forgive any who would treat a defenseless woman like this! You are beyond shameful, you are beyond forgiveness of any kind. A mother... your wife!"

Haku, although surprised at the vehemence of the ninja's reaction, concentrated on her mother. She took one of the kunai from the man's belt and used it to slice bits of clothing into bandages. Using as much strength as possible, she pushed shiatsu points to relax muscles and dull pain.

She had to realign the broken fingers, clean the blood.

It was useless. But she had to do something.

The ninja had already grabbed her father by the throat, ignoring the pitiful attempts of the man to get free. "What possible excuse can you have!"

Her father looked down at his wife and child and spat. "They are contaminated with a kekkei genkai!" he looked down at the ninja with a twisted smile. "We hate Bloodlines because they are responsible for the death and wars we have had... and those two carry that blood within them!"

"You idiot!" the ninja shouted in his face. "There is no single fault for that! Are you an imbecile? Are you stupid or simply moronic? Use that pebble mind of yours to think! They are human beings! They fight for the same reasons everyone else fights! Not because of their bloodline!"

"You wouldn't understand, you are not from here."

"But I do."

Both men turned to look at Haku. Her mother still breathed, if barely. She would live for a few hours at the most, in Haku's best estimate. But her hatred of her father had been rekindled... and she could not divorce herself from these feelings.

"Taste that which you wanted to destroy!" Haku shouted, tears streaming from her eyes. "And as you die remember all the good times and how many times you told us you loved us!"

"What are you..." the ninja asked, surprised, but Haku interrupted him.

"Sensatsu Suishō!" Haku shouted, doing the handseals with both hands and pulling as much chakra as she could.

The ninja's eyes widened as several needles were formed in the air around him and Haku's dad. Jumping up, he watched in amazement as about a hundred needles made out of ice slammed into the man's body.

Haku's father screamed just before at least three pierced his heart. He stumbled for a moment, then fell flat on the ground.

o.0.o

Haku woke up later. It was nighttime.

She could hear the crackle of flames nearby. She was lying on a mat, thrown over grass and leaves, next to her mother, who was still alive.

"How long?" she coughed.

"This time?" the ninja asked. He shook his head and threw another log onto the fire. "A few hours. I had to give you a soldier pill or you would have died of chakra exhaustion."

Haku was silent for a moment. "How is she?"

"She's dying." the man said. "But you knew that. She hasn't regained consciousness, I don't know if she will."

Haku nodded as she slowly sat up.

"We have a lot to talk about, you and I." the man said.

Haku nodded. "Thank you for your help... I never asked your name."

The man smiled, a grin that reminded her of someone. "The name is Jiraiya."

For several minutes Haku stared at the man, who at first seemed proud, then, as time passed and the stare remained, slowly became a bit nervous.

"Jiraiya..." Haku gulped. "Of the three Sannin? The legendary Jiraiya?"

"Ah..." Jiraiya coughed. "Yes. How is it that you know of me?"

Haku closed her eyes. How much could she tell him? He had helped her, even without knowing her. She owed him at least the chance of talking again to her mom, if only for a little bit. And that was a lot.

"My name is Haku..." she began. "And I don't know if you will believe what I have to say... but I swear it is the truth..."

Jiraiya nodded and stared into the fire as Haku began to speak. "Fifteen years ago, my dad murdered my mother..."

o.0.o

Jiraiya watched Haku tend to her mother. Having decided that their house was the best place to rest, he had carried the unconscious woman as they walked. The story had been almost absurd, but disturbingly convincing. The little girl had said so many things that seemed unreal, and yet, there were so many details that she couldn't possibly know. The last battle she "experienced" with the infamous Zabuza, had her pitted against Hakate Kakashi, who he knew well, Naruto, who was just a year old now, an Uchiha he didn't know of and some pink haired girl. She had deliberately omitted several facts, but those could be forgiven if the rest was true. At least, if it was, it made his heart felt much lighter after leaving Konoha. Naruto would have good friends to stand by him in the future. But for now, his problem was the little girl.

o.0.o

"Mom..." Haku whispered, stroking the soft brown hair she had only been able to dream about for close to fifteen years. "If I could tell you everything, what would you think of me?"

She tried to fight the tears, cursing to herself at how weak she was now that she was two again. Something pulled the hem of her dress, and without thinking she pulled back. Only when she looked down and saw her mother's hand holding it did she react.

"Mom!"

The shout startled Jiraiya, who walked over to sit next to Haku.

"Haku-chan?" the woman coughed. "Is that you? The villagers..." she started to turn, in an obvious effort to stand up.

"Stop mom... I'm okay, a ninja saved me and you from the villagers... it's okay."

Her mother opened her right eye. "I can't open my other eye... what..."

Haku's tears fell down her chin unheeded. "I couldn't do anything for the other mom..."

Her mother smiled. "You are so brave, Haku-chan... you are like your grandmother..." her smile turned sad. She looked at the man sitting next to Haku. "You must take her away, please sir... I ask this of you... as my last wish..."

Jiraiya nodded his head after a slight hesitancy.

"We... had family, in another country..." Haku's mother said, struggling a bit. "My last name was Asano, before I married..." her eye darkened. _"him."_

Haku looked away when her mother whimpered.

"He said he was going to kill you too..." her mother continued. "he said that you were corrupted, and that you would bring grief to all of us."

"It's okay, Asano-dono," Jiraiya said kindly. "I will make sure Haku-chan reaches her family."

Haku was speechless. She had been too young to even remember her last name, and now she had one, at least the one the mattered; her mother's last name. Asano. And she had family she had never heard of. She wasn't alone.

The dying woman nodded, took a deep breath and spoke slowly. "In my room, the chest has a false bottom... you will find a scroll there with our family tree." she looked at Jiraiya. "please get it for me while I speak to my daughter."

The ninja nodded and left the room.

"Mom... don't speak..." Haku put her hand over her mother's. "Save your strength..."

The woman shook her head. "This is my last chance..." she coughed. "you are so strong... I'm proud of you my Haku-chan."

"I'll always remember you mom..." Haku whispered.

Her mother smiled.

o.0.o

Jiraiya had found the chest, and taken out a small bag from under the false bottom. As he made his way down the stairs, he looked outside and noticed a trail of lights coming from the road. Eyes widening, he ran downstairs and into the room where Haku was covering her mother's face with the thin sheet from the bed.

"Haku... the villagers are coming."

Haku nodded, standing up.

"I have the bag with the contents from the chest. If you are ready, we should go."

Haku was about to nod again, but stopped. "Let me get one thing... I'll be fast."

Without waiting for Jiraiya's reply she ran up the stairs. After a few minutes the girl was back, with another backpack.

Jiraiya had packed his equipment in the meantime, stealing a few glances at the stairs as he heard noise from the rooms above. When the girl came back he stood up. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes." Haku said. Without hesitation, she walked over to the lit oil lamps and smashed them against the wall.

The fire spread quickly, and in the mere seconds it took Jiraiya and Haku to get out of the building, the wood structure was almost completely covered in flames.

o.0.o

It took them a couple of hours to find a safe camping place. Much to Haku's embarrassment, she had to be carried by Jiraiya for most of it. Her legs were simply not strong enough to sustain long walks, and there was no way that she could achieve the speed even a genin would have.

As they sat down, the sun slowly crept up behind their backs. Jiraiya carefully opened the bag, and after rummaging pulled out three scrolls. Two of them seemed to be clan techniques, but the third wasn't protected at all.

Jiraiya slowly opened the scroll on the grass, so that they could both look at it. Haku followed the Asano line up until it met with another name that was unknown to her.

"What does this mean?" Haku asked. "What is the Senju Clan? What village are they from?"

After a few minutes of silence, Haku turned to look at Jiraiya who had sat back, pale. "What's wrong?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "The Senju Clan doesn't exist anymore."

Haku sighed. It was too good to be true...

"Well, not as it was..." Jiraiya clarified, earning a glare from Haku. The girl noticed, however that Jiraiya was talking mostly to himself.

"So, where are they from?"

Jiraiya sighed and looked towards the dawn. "Konoha."

**Next Chapter:**

"_Konoha?! What the hell are you doing in Water Country then?"_

"_I don't know. Maybe it has to do with the change in name from Senju to Asano..."_

Will there be a next chapter? Well, only you can tell me if it's worth reading! Leave a note!


	3. Chapter 3

Myst and Leaves

by Wanderer D

**Chapter 3**

Haku sat on the ground, ignoring the snoring from Jiraiya.

Before her, spread out on a scroll was all the history and ties she had to her past and family. She had erased her father's name from the family tree. She knew, at least, that he had no remaining family on his side. All of them had been victims of the last great war. This fact didn't make her change her mind, though. Although he had been severely scarred by war and had seen the horrible abuse of some bloodlines, it did not change the fact that they were all different people and no-one should blame a group of people for their misfortune just because they bear some similarities to the ones that caused it.

No.

Her father was off the tree. But he was the only one. Her grandmother and grandfather were listed as the start of this branch of the family that had produced her. She had no memory of them, and it was likely they had died before she was born... and although their son had left much to be desired as a father, and as a human being, it was not their fault. She would honor their memory at least.

She looked at the other items she had found in the bag.

The two scrolls she had been able to open without much difficulty, but she had been surprised at their contents. One of them contained a set of three wind jutsus and three water jutsus which she knew were not part of Kirigakure's traditional jutsus. Faded scripts on the outside of the scroll indicated that it was a present of sorts, perhaps from her distant relatives.

The second scroll however could only belong to her clan, and her clan alone. The Asano Clan. It's size was deceptive; the scroll, although slim, contained the history of her family, she could trace it all the way back to the first man in her lineage. A man named Hyoga. She had seen his name at the root of the family tree. It had no others, just one man, and a woman, Chisato Asano.

According to the histories written in the scroll, at least from the quick scan she had done, Hyoga's power was beyond peer in the lands that would grow to be the Elemental Countries. Before the great wars, before ninja became armies, before the countries were named with their new titles, this man and his friends had changed the world. Unlike others, him and his nakama did not seek power, and after saving a small village from an invading army (the details of how he accomplished this were not very clear) he had retired at a young age to marry Chisato and start the Asano clan. The scroll mentioned rumors of the other warriors, his peers, vanishing before his eyes, but these were records done as he lied on his deathbed, and no record of their names remained. There was even a note from one of Hyoga's grandchildren saying that the stories he told them in his old age about the accomplishments of his nakama were simply ridiculous, even with the evidence of his own power.

Haku's eyes skimmed the following paragraphs until she reached the clan's secret techniques. Her eyes widened. She could show this to Jiraiya and even the great Sannin would be unable to perform these jutsus.

Her Makyō Hyōshō (Demonic Ice Mirrors) technique was well noted, although she realized now she had only reached the first stage of t heir true capabilities. Without this scroll it was unlikely that she would have been able to even come close to what it proposed was possible. Predictably, no-one since Hyoga's first son had been able to perform the final stage of the Demonic Ice Mirrors, which was vaguely described. The name of the full technique was the Thousand Dragon Soul. This, along with four other techniques; the Ice Phoenix, Ice Nebula, Ice Diamond and Ice Wings were S rank jutsus created by Hyouga himself. All of them were described in detail, except for the actual final stage of completion.

Dragon Ascension, the second step following her Makyō Hyōshō, and Ice Thunder were A rank jutsus described in full.

Ice Slide, her Sensatsu Suishō, and the Makyō Hyōshō (here called Dragon Step) were the listed B rank Jutsus, also completely described.

Then, a list of simple C rank jutsus that needed no explaining, which had apparently been listed begrudgingly by the record keeper. A note from said record keeper declared that were it not for Hyoga's instructions on EVERYTHING being written down, they would not be there as any child of the Asano clan would discover these parlor tricks on his or her own. Haku knew that she could perform them easily, but for them to be listed here Hyoga must have had an underlying intention.

Below that, a series of drawings depicted a series of long katas. Haku studied them for a bit, not really understanding the strange positions.

"This doesn't make sense..." she muttered.

"That is because you are not seeing the bigger picture." Jiraiya said.

o.0.o

"I haven't seen anyone climb a tree so fast since Brownu's the great Koala invasion."

Haku looked down at Jiraiya from the high branches of the tree. Her glare would have frozen a polar bear. "Don't scare me like that!"

Jiraiya ignored her glare and sat down, studying the scroll for a moment. "Ah, here is the secret. Come over here Haku."

Despite her anger, she was curious about what the man could have found after such a short glance. She slid down the trunk and knelt next to him.

Jiraiya was nodding to himself. "Yes, this makes sense... hmm." after a few minutes he looked at the girl. "Haku, I will tell you the secret behind this martial art regardless of what you say to my next question, but I want you to think carefully about what you will say first."

Haku stared at the Sannin. He had helped her out and had trusted her story, as crazy as it sounded. He had rescued her mother, helped her found a family; he was taking her to meet them, and he had now promised to tell her the secret to her family style martial arts. The question would be of utmost importance, and she somehow knew that it would shape her future from this moment on.

Taking a deep breath, she calmed herself and nodded.

Jiraiya sat back lying down the scroll. "Haku, a promise like this from a three year old would be pointless. So I ask you as a ninja."

Haku gulped.

"Before this happened, you said you joined Zabuza as a ninja of Kirigakure. Zabuza is still there, and still a part of the ninja army of the Mizukage as one of the Seven Swordsmen for a couple more years too if what you said was true. Although you now have some relatives in Konoha, that does not mean that Konoha has your loyalty. You like Naruto, but Naruto is part of a greater whole. A big part, but still just one of many."

Jiraiya opened the scroll that contained her family tree, lying it over the bigger one with the secret techniques. "The Konoha line to which you belong is legendary. Most people don't remember who the clan was, these days, unless you grew in Konoha. If you had you would have known that both the Shodai Hokage and the Nidaime Hokage were of the Senju clan."

Haku grew pale as the severity of the situation revealed itself. She had no idea she came from two bloodlines of such power.

"What I want you to answer, with all honesty Haku, is this... will you serve Konoha as her ninja? Will you be one of us and love her and protect her as Naruto, Kakashi or I would?"

Haku was about to answer when the Sennin put up his hand, stopping her. "Think about it and tell me later. I know your link to Zabuza, but I believe there is a way to get the two of you to work together again. I cannot guarantee it will work, but it is a chance. Think on it."

Haku nodded, her mind reeling.

"Now," Jiraiya said. "Look at this form... a simple open handed block, right?"

Haku nodded. "That's why it doesn't make sense... it is too simple."

Jiraiya smirked. "Have you ever heard of the Hyuga Clan?"

Haku nodded. "Of course. Zabuza-sama explained that they transmit chakra through..." she looked at the diagram again, then at Jiraiya. "You don't think..." she shook her head. "No, if my ability was like the Hyuga's then I would transmit pure chakra, not an elemental affinity. This looks more like the ability that Kakashi-sensei killed me with."

Jiraiya flinched a bit but studied Haku as her mind did the math.

"That means that it is to be done with the elemental affinity of Ice. I don't have to do hand seals to emit the cold aura which is in fact the fourth basic jutsu of my..."

Haku's eyes widened even further. She looked up at the first basic technique listed just above the katas, then looked down at the diagram. The secret was hers now.

A simple block would get turned into a deadly trap. A jab could suddenly turn into a dangerous punch surrounded by ice needles.

Defense, suddenly deadly. Attacks that could transform. A step-back that would throw an opponent off-balance and could potentially break something.

"And every jutsu is part of the next level of the kata." he whistled. "Haku... if you master this... you would be deadly."

Haku was speechless for a full minute. "Jiraiya-sama."

Jiraiya looked up from the scroll with a confused look on his face. "Huh?"

Haku smiled, her first real smile since dying to save Zabuza. "I will protect Konoha with my life. But I'll do my best to help Zabuza-sama when he and I can meet."

Jiraiya closed his eyes for a moment, crossing his arms over his chest as he thought. Then, sly smile returning he smiled back at Haku. "It is a deal then. Haku, start practicing the basic chakra exercises in this scroll and add to it tree climbing to help rebuild your chakra. I will study the kata for now and help you revive your clan's secret art."

Haku's smile grew further as she bent down to the waist bowing at Jiraiya. "Hai! Jiraiya-sensei!" she took a couple of steps then looked at him weird. "Wait... Koala Invasion?!"

o.0.o

As Haku started practicing her tree climbing Jiraiya started reading the story of Hyoga and his four unnamed companions. There was more to the secret art of this legendary man than what was plainly written on the scroll.

**Next Chapter:**

"_Jiraiya-sensei!"_

"_Don't call me that. Brings back memories."_

"_But Jiraiya-sensei, that's Konoha?"_

"_No, it's the village of Machu-pichu. Of course it is Konoha!"_

Thanks for the reviews! Although there were a lot of +favs and +alerts to be had :) that's always encouraging... let me know what you think though, that's always good incentive. You guys might want to take a look at my other fics too :p Anyway, enough with that.

To answer a few questions...

_**ADD Kyuubi Naruto**__:_ As you can see, him manipulating water so proficiently is only part of the answer :)

_**Awkio**_: Thanks for the comments! I'm glad you like how this is going, wait and see Konoha's reaction to a Senju-related clan suddenly appearing from outside its gates!

_**Bobboky**_: Haku's relationship with the Senju abilities will get clearer in the future, but as you can see the origin of her Ice bloodline is from somewhere else.

_**griffin blackwood**_: More so than the Shodai Hokage, yes.

Will there be a next chapter? Well, only you can tell me if it's worth reading! Leave a note! Recommend the story!


	4. Chapter 4: Konoha

Myst and Leaves

by Wanderer D

**Chapter 4**

"_Try again." Zabuza repeated._

_Haku merely nodded, keeping her thoughts to herself. She had learned that complaining didn't get her anything or anywhere. Zabuza would not hit her, but he would be disappointed of her, and that was more than enough incentive to try her best._

_She picked up a fresh batch of senbon needles, took a deep breath and threw them one after the other. Her eyes barely paused on each specific target as needles flew into the wooden human figure. Most of the needles hit dead center on the half-inch-wide targets that she had painted with painstaking precision earlier._

_But sixteen out of twenty was not good enough._

o.0.o

"Again." Jiraiya said.

Haku took a deep breath, taking the starting position of the kata. As she moved into the first step Jiraiya started talking.

"As I was saying earlier before you completely botched that defense, you have to understand the moves depicted here are outdated." he paced around her, observing the angle of her arm in relation to her feet when she did a slow punch. "This martial art is like a dance, graceful, a flow of movements that have to be used in conjunction with your natural abilities with ice. But in a real fight... the moves will not work on their own... or the style on its own. Your ancestors did a fine job of messing it up."

Haku caught herself in time and flowed on the two steps back and side step that followed.

Jiraiya smiled, knowing that he had gotten to her continued. "They lost the secret to the technique early on by dismissing the importance of the ice power." he frowned. "Which you are not using. Again."

o.0.o

"Jiraiya-sensei, why did you say earlier that my ancestors had messed up the technique?" Haku asked, slowly eating her rice.

"It is a combination of complacency and fate." The Frog Sannin said. "You might have noticed that only some of your clan members are marked with this small symbol." he drew an asterisk-like design on the floor, which she had indeed noticed earlier. "This means that not everybody in your clan was able to use the Ice powers that you have."

Haku nodded in sudden understanding. "But the secrets of the art had to be passed down so..."

"So in the few generations where the power was lost the practice of the basic ice techniques was abandoned and without true understanding of what it was part of, it became a shadow of its former glory."

o.0.o

A week later...

"Okay Haku, that is enough for now." Jiraiya said as Haku wobbled on the water of the lake he had chosen for the purpose of training the young prodigy. "Your control is exceptional, but at such a young age your reserves are not close to what they should be."

Haku nodded. "They are no-where near my capacity at the time I fought Naruto-kun."

Jiraiya's smile was predatory. "By the time you reach fifteen Haku-chan you'll have at least three times the chakra you had in your last incarnation."

Haku smiled a bit. "Hai, Jiraiya-sensei!"

The practice was to create mist.

It could be done with ease using any number of water jutsu... But using the natural affinity Haku had to spread the chakra into the air around her, cooling it down to condensate. She had read that Hyoga was able to make the area snow by his presence alone. It was said that the day he died, it snowed for several hours.

As she slowly let her chakra spread around her, her thoughts drifted into the legends of her ancient ancestor and all the information she had learned with Jiraiya's help. Had she known half of what she knew now when she had been with Zabuza-sama... she smirked. Without the scrolls and Jiraiya's help it would have taken her too long to figure it out to be useful... but now, she could now create new dreams... and complete the old ones. She would serve Konoha, as her new home... but she would not abandon Zabuza-sama either. She would still be his tool... whether he knew it or not.

As she thought, her chakra expanded even more. Soon a swirling mist started forming at her feet building thicker and thicker until her ankles were covered completely by it and a small area around her was all but invisible.

Soon her mind drifted further into the past that didn't exist, to the various jobs she had done with Zabuza, the many times they had come close to dying. She had healed Zabuza-sama's injuries more times than she could ever count, and it was to him that she owed everything she was, second chance or not.

She thought back to the last time she had seen him, as he turned to face Naruto with tears in his eyes. Zabuza-sama would never cry again. He would only grow stronger with allies such as Naruto, and maybe the Uchiha. Jiraiya, one of the Sennin would certainly help boost his credibility and plans. He would bring down the Mizukage and Haku would be there with him.

o.0.o

The ninja watched impassive as the young girl drew chakra around her. He had felt a familiar power and followed it to this spot. He knew that another ninja was there, and he knew the powerful warrior was well aware of his presence.

But he concentrated on the girl, making no move other than observe. When she had created mist, he had been surprised at her proficiency at such a young age. Truly, the warrior was without peer if he could train anyone (even a genius) that far at two or three years old. But he could see where this white-haired warrior was lacking in training the girl. The girl's affinity wasn't just water and wind, after all.

Carefully he made his way out of the forest, walking towards the girl. He only turned his head slightly to nod at the other ninja, who stood at silent attention amongst the trees.

When he was a few feet in front of the girl, he sat.

o.0.o

Haku could feel her senses expanding with her chakra. All around her the mist intensified. That's when she heard the voice.

"You are good, kid, but you are doing it wrong."

Her eyes snapped open, she could see the mist swirling around her. Her eyes quickly focused on the unknown ninja.

He had no hitai-ate on his forehead. His head was covered and his nose and mouth were covered by a black mask with intricate silver designs. He was dressed in a black and blue uniform. He wore arm protectors decorated with silver dragons, with matching sheen protectors. His eyes were blue, that she could tell, along with the beginning of a scar on his left eye that disappeared under his mask. He was powerfully built, more bulky than the normally slim ninjas she was accustomed to, but it was clear it would not hamper his speed.

The man suffered her scrutiny without flinching.

"What do you mean?" Haku asked at the same time she slid into a fighting stance. She knew she couldn't take a gennin at her level right now, much less someone like him. She tried to sense Jiraiya, but she couldn't feel him in the proximity.

The man made a slow sweeping gesture with his hand. "The mist. Good exercise, but not enough to truly challenge your abilities."

Haku didn't know what to think. This strange ninja wasn't making any threats, but he couldn't be trusted. "Who are you?"

The ninja shook his head and chuckled. "Who I am is not important. It is unlikely you will ever see me again after I leave. What I have to teach you is. I can feel the whispers of Ice within you. It is a strong power. But you have to understand it better. It is true that combining water and wind you get a similar result, but _your_ power is beyond a simple combination. It _is_ Ice. When you use wind and water, it is by splitting your affinity into two separate things from it."

Haku relaxed her stance, but her eyes never wavered from the man. "How should I use it properly then?"

The man extended his hand, opening it, palm facing up. The mist slowly started to swirl around his hand, slowly gathering in the middle of his palm.

As Haku watched, the mist started solidifying into a sphere. It looked almost solid, but the white-blue contents swirled as if they were still mist.

"This is how you do it. Don't try wind and water. Don't try wind. Don't try water. Do Ice." He touched a nearby boulder with the small sphere of ice and the whole thing was covered in frost. It was so cold that the wind around it condensed.

Haku watched in awe. "How..."

The man chuckled. "That is one of my techniques. It doesn't exist anywhere else in this world, and only one such as you could be able to do it. Your teacher couldn't. He doesn't have the Ice inside of him."

Haku gulped. "It is amazing."

The man slowly stood up, making no threatening gestures. He slowly took a scroll sealed in black metal with a silver dragon snaking around the container. "Where I am going, there is no return, and I find myself without a heir. I have no-one of my blood left. My brother..." he looked away. "This scroll contains several secrets of my art. But you will only be able to open it once you have discovered the secret of the Ice Mist."

He put the scroll-case down, moonlight reflecting on the silver decorations. The man turned to leave. "If we should ever meet again, as unlikely as it is, I will kill you if you haven't figured out the secret. This is not for weak, pathetic fools." he hesitated for a moment. "I acknowledge your strength kid, but if this is not opened within twelve years, it will be destroyed from within."

The ninja walked away, leaving Haku in the mist, staring at the scroll, deep in thought.

o.0.o

"Why did you do that?" Jiraiya asked the ninja as he walked past him. "Ninja techniques such as that... are not simply given away."

The ninja sighed, but did not turn around. "I made a promise to a man once, long ago, that if I ever found his student I would let him know that there was hope. He taught me that technique as proof that I spoke the truth, since his student would be able to duplicate such a technique without problem. His student's blood is in that girl."

Jiraiya's face didn't change, although his mind was racing. The ninja didn't seem to care.

"If you, who doesn't have his blood are training her, I assume he is no more. And if he were still alive, that technique will reach him eventually. I have to leave, and this is the only way to leave that message behind."

"What's the name of this man?" Jiraiya asked as the ninja started walking again. "I might have heard of him."

The strange ninja's answer kept Jiraiya thinking for several months after that. And even as years passed, he would remember his surprise and be amazed at how many things he would never be able to explain. And it annoyed him to no end.

o.0.o

Three months later...

"Well, we are finally here." Jiraiya said.

Haku gazed at the gates of Konoha with open wonder. She had heard of Konoha and had crossed the borders on several missions with Zabuza, but she had never set foot inside the town itself.

Jiraiya paused a moment to confer with the guards, who after some words let them pass.

As they walked towards the Hokage Tower, Haku noticed that the village wasn't as grand as she supposed it would be, despite its exterior.

Jiraiya, catching the confusion in her eyes shook his head. "It's too soon after Kyuubi attacked."

Haku nodded.

o.0.o

"Ah, Jiraiya!" the Hokage exclaimed, taking his pipe out of his mouth. "I never thought I would see you here so soon!"

Jiraiya snorted. "Don't get your hopes up, old man. I didn't come here to stay or because I wanted. I came here to fulfill a promise."

"Oh?" Sarutobi smiled, noticing the really nervous Haku for the first time. "I never knew you had a child!"

Jiraiya went pale. "S-shut up!" he pushed Haku in front of him. "She's not mine! I just brought her here!"

The Hokage laughed, shaking his head. Haku understood that the man was joking. "And why did you bring her here?"

"Well..." Jiraiya coughed into his hand. "The truth is..."

Sarutobi frowned, sensing his former student's discomfort. "Yes?"

"Her only remaining blood relative is..."

Haku gulped, looking at Jiraiya. The man had refused to tell her during her travels about her blood relatives.

Sarutobi glared at Jiraiya. "Let it out, Jiraiya. Who is it?"

Jiraiya looked embarrassed. "Tsunade."

The Hokage let the pipe fall unhindered onto his desk.

**Next Chapter:**

"_Tsunade?! This is not funny Jiraiya!"_

"_One of the Sannin is my relative? Where is she?"_

"_Who will take care of Haku?"_

**ArmorOfGeddon: **I believe Haku's interest in Naruto is platonic, and likely to stay so, on her side. However now that she's in Konoha her relationship with him will be much deeper.

Will there be a next chapter? Well, only you can tell me if it's worth reading! Leave a note! Recommend the story!


	5. Chapter 5

Myst and Leaves

by Wanderer D

**Chapter 5**

Haku observed impassive as the red-hot contents of the pipe slowly burnt through the papers in front of the Hokage.

Jiraiya shifted nervously as Sarutobi's mouth opened and closed.

When the fire started to spread Haku quietly used his abilities to dampen the papers, effectively stopping the flames.

Clearing his throat, Jiraiya approached his former master's desk. "Well, why don't we call Tsunade then?"

Sarutobi looked at the soggy paper and sighed. "It's a bit more complicated than you might think."

Haku and Jiaraiya exchanged glances.

"Tsunade left shortly after you did. We haven't heard anything from her since. She went completely under, she hasn't even made a bet that reached my ears." Sarutobi explained.

Haku sighed. "I guess it was too much to hope for."

Jiraiya glared at her. "I told you there would be complications."

The Hokage shook his head and looked down at Haku. "So what is your story little one?"

Haku thought back to a few hours earlier when she was making her way to Konoha with Jiraiya-sensei.

"_We cannot tell the whole story to the Old Man." Jiraiya said. "Let's stick to basics and tell him from when your father found out about your powers."_

_Haku frowned a bit. If she was going to be in Konoha she should at least trust the Hokage. "But..."_

_Jiraiya shook his head. "I don't think you understand. It is best if only the two of us know. Not only for your safety, but also for Naruto's."_

"I recently discovered my ability..."

o.0.o

"I see." Sarutobi nodded. "It is a sad truth of the world that what we don't understand scares us. It may sound like a cliché when said just like that but not knowing is probably more scary than knowing. Those villagers just didn't have the simple courage to try."

Haku nodded. "I don't expect them to understand, Hokage-sama. I expected my father to try."

Sarutobi smiled sadly. "You will find as you grow older, Haku, that people are stubborn even to the point of stupidity at times. Little things bother them, destroying their ability to see the bigger picture. There are those that would discard a book by its cover, or criticize something without knowing much about it, sometimes just because a part of it is not what they would want it to be. And thus they start fights, unintentionally at times, but always because they don't care to understand someone else's views, or nature."

Haku nodded, smiling a bit at the Hokage.

"So what are we going to do about Haku?" Jiraiya asked, bringing the subject back to the matter at hand. "I want her to eventually become part of my spy network, but for now she cannot come with me."

Sarutobi locked eyes with his student. "Why do you want her to be part of it?"

This had also come as a surprise to Haku, who looked at her sensei in absolute surprise.

"She has a quick mind and, through her travels with me, a good understanding on how it works." Jiraiya answered. "This would also make it simpler for me to communicate with you. My different agents will come to visit her instead of making obvious appearances at the Hokage Tower."

Sarutobi smiled. "You agents haven't set foot here, and you know it."

The Sannin shrugged. "And now they'll never have to."

Sarutobi looked at Haku with a laughing glint in his eye. "You have made quite an impression, young one. Now, all we need to do is find out who will take care of you while we get word from Tsunade."

"About that..." Jiraiya spoke up. "I would advice against any of the main houses. Haku's ability should be kept a secret as much as possible for now."

"They will have to know that she is related to the Nidaime." Sarutobi said.

"Not until Tsunade comes back." Jiraiya said. "Imagine what the Uchiha clan would do? Or the Hyuga?" he sat down on one of the chairs. "It cannot be a civilian either. The civilian part of the council would mess things up further. You know they bend to the wills of our two main clans as grass to the wind."

Sarutobi crossed his hands and looked at the desk for a moment. "If she is going to be your contact and you have already been training her, it only stands to reason that she be under the care of someone capable of taking care of her, but also keep on training her on a sufficient level to keep up. I hate to say it, but I can already tell that the Academy will hold no secrets for her..."

"Actually..." Haku interrupted. "Hokage-sama, if you don't mind I would like to attend the Ninja Academy."

"Why is that Haku?" Jiraiya asked, surprised. "Your level of knowledge in most areas is already beyond most Genin."

Sarutobi's eyes widened at this revelation, and he looked at his student to confirm what he had heard. Jiraiya nodded, and the Hokage knew that his student wouldn't joke about that.

"I might know a lot about ninja techniques, but I don't know anything about Konoha." Haku explained. "I might have recognized the Senju clan otherwise, and..." she blushed slightly. "I really want to make friends my age." she felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up.

Sarutobi's kind smile made her smile back. "It's okay Haku. You can start at the Ninja Academy when you reach six years old. In the meantime, and even during your time at the Academy, you will need someone with good abilities to continue your training."

"That lowers the list by quite a bit." Jiraiya said. "Who do you have in mind?"

"I will assign some of our Jonins and Chunins to train you." the Hokage said. "But as for who you will live with... I think I have a good option. I just need to contact them."

o.0.o

"Jiraiya-sensei..."

"Yes?"

"Who do you think Hokage-sama will contact?" Haku asked as she followed her teacher around Konoha. She was taking in the sites, and enjoying the walk, but her future remained at the foremost of her thoughts.

"I don't know, Haku." Jiraiya answered. "The Old Man will choose wisely, though, although some of your past will have to be revealed to your guardian, I assume."

Tsunade was related to her, but she was not here and no-one knew where she was. But there was another question burning in her mind.

"Why do you want me to be part of your team, sensei?" Haku asked, looking up at the Toad Sannin. "I know how networks work but..."

Jiraiya put a hand on her head, stopping her from saying more. He knelt down in front of her and looked her square in the eye. "Besides what I told the Hokage, doing that for me will facilitate you into getting in contact with Zabuza's network once it is established." he smiled at the girls bewildered expression. "I did promise to help you with him, didn't I? Now, let's go, it's almost the time the Old Man asked us to get back at."

o.0.o

The door opened and a man stepped in. "Hokage-sama, you called for us?"

"Ah, Shikaku, Yoshino." The Hokage smiled. "Please, sit down."

Nara Shikaku allowed his wife, carrying his two year old son Shikamaru, to walk ahead and take the seats. While his wife's concentration was on the Hokage, first and foremost, he had already noticed the two other people in the room. The ninja in red could be no other than Jiraiya of the Sannin. That was a surprise all to itself. And then there was a young girl that couldn't be much older than Shikamaru. How troublesome.

**Next Chapter:**

"_With all due respect, Hokage-Sama, but why choose us?"_

"_Shikaku, shut up and listen to what the Hokage has to say."_

"_Yes, dear."_

**Now to answer some of the Reviews.**

**Alucard180**: Well, you'll have to wait and see, but she WILL find out :)

**bandgsecurtiyaw**: I don't want to write down who she'll have a relationship, if any... not yet :)

**ArmorOfGeddon**: Thanks! I'll be the first to admit that the Time-travel plot is pretty popular, and some other fics inspired a bit of this one. I just knew that Haku could have an alternate story to tell.

**Lithius Amarantinos**: As I said above, I don't want to promise anything.

**Awkio**: Well, no, he is not a descendant of the Nidaime, he's another character altogether :) I hadn't noticed the similarities until you mentioned them. This chapter is a bit shorter, but I am already halfway done with the next one. I hope the shortness doesn't put you off!

And ALSO...

**P3X-969**: Thank you for your frank comment, although I think you meant "sick" and I'm not too sure what you were trying to say when you wrote "mind". I am a bit disappointed that you would not leave your REAL alias/nickname/author name so I could PM you this instead of putting it here, only leaving me with a random coordinate from Stargate: Atlantis.

But well, let me be frank.

P3X-969, whoever you are, let me explain the nature of FAN FICTION to you. Fanfics are works created by FANS of the series in question. That means that they will NEVER be anything like the original author intended.

They can stay close to cannon, yes, but in the end, it will not be cannon at all. If you want to read things that are just part of the original, you shouldn't read Naruto fanfics, or even watch the anime. Read the manga.

Haku being a girl is not a gender barrier issue, as you put it. If by gender barrier issue you are assuming that I want Haku to have a relationship with a guy so I made him a she, it's not that either. On that same note you could attack all Naruto/Sasuke pairings, since it is clear in the anime and manga that neither Naruto nor Sasuke are gay. It's a simple "What if" which is what lies behind every story or fanfic in history. Haku is not a character whose gender truly affects the story, other than for a short amusing moment when Naruto finds out Haku is male.

His story ended pretty shortly, and if Haku had been a girl, it would have been even a harder lesson for Naruto, I believe. I chose Haku to be a girl in MY fanfic. Can't you accept that it being a fanfic I can take some artistic license to change the story to push it in the direction I want it to go?

Don't take this as an attack either. Everyone is entitled to their beliefs and I don't expect everyone in the world to love my story, but don't give me a negative review condemning the story just because Haku happens to be a girl in this one, read the story and if you don't like it you can tell me that too. If it's just that you don't like FemHaku, don't read it. It's tagged as such on the description.

**o.0.o**

Will there be a next chapter? Well, only you guys can tell me if it's worth reading! Leave a note! Recommend the story! If you like it just let me know :) It really helps.


	6. Chapter 6: Family

Myst and Leaves

by Wanderer D

**Chapter 6**

Nara Shikaku looked at Haku dead in the eyes. The young time-traveler's gaze didn't flinch and she looked at him right back, eyes never blinking. The slight smile in her face didn't comfort him at all, although he was struggling a bit not to smile back. Damn this little girl had charisma.

They stared in silence for a few more seconds before Shikaku turned to look at the Hokage. "You must be joking."

Yoshino's slap to the back of her husband's head resounded in the room. Jiraiya laughed so hard he almost fell back on his chair.

"Shikaku!" she growled at her husband, while young Shikamaru's eyes opened wide. "Can't you see this is serious?!"

The Hokage chuckled a bit. "I am aware that this is unusual, Shikaku, but please hear me out."

Haku leaned forward, she had to hear the Hokage's reasoning. She had heard about the Nara Clan from Zabuza, of course, but since her mentor looked down on dependence on team members, the Ino-Shika-Cho was nothing more than a passing conversation between him and his apprentice.

"Haku is intelligent beyond her years. She has already started learning from Jiraiya and I intend to have several members of our forces training her at some point or another. However, Jiraiya's interest in Haku demands knowledge beyond what she would learn at the academy and I am afraid most of the ninja that will train her. I cannot have any one of them exclusively training her and giving up on their own missions. I believe that she would benefit the most from learning tactics, logistics and techniques from the Nara clan, since they are day to day basics for you."

"But why us?" Another smack.

The Hokage cleared his throat. "There are a few other reasons." He waited until Shikaku was no longer rubbing the back of his head before continuing. "Haku comes from a powerful line of ninjas. Her only living blood relative right now being Tsunade of the Sannin."

Shikaku sat back straighter, while Yoshino eyed Haku curiously. "So she is a descendant of the Nidaime?"

Jiraiya nodded. "Yes. One of the Nidaime's two daughters married into the Asano Clan of Water Country. The Asano clan comes from a very powerful warrior of ancient times, Hyoga Asano, who was the first of his clan to have the Ice Release Kekkei Genkai."

"As such, she is an important remnant of her clan, the last of the Asanos, and also a Senju." Sarutobi said. "I am asking you to take her in because I shudder to think what would happen if the Uchiha or the Hyuga managed to convince the council that they would be better suited to take care of her."

"I am assuming that you will not tell the council about Haku's past." Shikaku said.

The Hokage nodded. "That is correct, until Tsunade comes back to Konoha, no one will know her true bloodline outside the people in this room."

"Is there any other reason, Hokage-sama, that you chose us?" Shikaku said after a minute of silence.

Sarutobi smiled. "I know I can trust you. You were willing to offer this favor for Naruto-kun, even if some forces in the council made it impossible for it to happen."

This sparked Haku's interest, but a slight shake of Jiraiya's head stopped her from asking questions.

Shikaku sighed. "How troublesome." he looked at Haku, then back at the Hokage. "We will adopt her formally. Who knows when Tsunade will come back if ever. She deserves at least a family, as troublesome as that is."

Haku was shocked at how quickly things had moved. Again, she found herself with a family. She started trembling.

Sarutobi noticed this, and his worried glance made Yoshino, Shikaku, Shikamaru and Jiraiya look at her.

"Are you okay, Haku-chan?" Jiraiya asked, never having seen Haku in such a state.

Tears started streaming from her eyes as she quickly nodded and smiled, she couldn't look up at them, unused to the kindness she hadn't felt from anyone else other than Zabuza-sama and Jiraiya-sensei until then. She tried to talk and choked a couple of times, until, with a deep stuttering breath, she looked up at them. "I just never expected to feel so happy."

o.0.o

Haku followed Jiraiya as he continued showing the town to her. Shikaku and Yoshino had to get approval from the heads of the Nara Clan, which Sarutobi had assured her would not be a problem, but protocol had to be followed.

Jiraiya would take her to the Nara's forested compound later that day to introduce her to the clan. If she was accepted (again, Sarutobi had assured her that it was a mere formality) she would then be officially adopted by Shikaku and Yoshino and would take the Nara name for herself.

Haku giggled, thinking about Shikamaru, who didn't seem overly impressed at having a new sister. She shook her head. Since the Naras had offered to adopt her, she had been giddy with excitement. Her normal internal calm had been shattered. In a way the truth of the matter hadn't hit her until now. It had all been like a dream... she had to deal with so many things as she traveled with Jiraiya, she had buried herself in training and studying her family techniques. And now... she was scared. And happy. And nervous. And hopeful. And that reminded her of something she had heard in the tower.

"Jiraiya-sensei..." Haku looked around and lowered her voice. "I have a question about Naruto-kun..."

Jiraiya stopped and looked around for a moment before motioning to Haku to seat with him on a bench. People walked by but they didn't pay too much attention to them.

"What is it, Haku?"

"Where's Naruto-kun? And... why did the Hokage say the Naras had tried to adopt him too?"

Jiraiya quickly looked around again. "I am afraid I cannot tell you why, by law, but the council asked that Naruto-kun stay in the orphanage until he was three years old before he was considered for adoption."

Haku frowned. "That doesn't make any sense."

Jiraiya smirked. "It does to some people. It is the Old man's and mine hope that Naruto gets adopted soon after he turns three. Shikaku and Yoshino, as well as some other couples from certain Konoha Clans, had offered to adopt him into their families, but their Clan Heads, as well as several members of the council expressed their... concerns... and asked for the adoption to wait."

Haku shook her head. "But..."

"It's stupid Haku. And it's unnecessary and annoying. But at least in the orphanage Naruto is taken care of. I am sure in a year most of those same couples that offered to adopt him a while ago will do so again. He'll have a good home." Jiraiya could clearly see that she was not happy with the answer. "Let it go for now, Haku-chan." he sighed. "It'll be soon time for you too meet the Clan Heads. We should get you some new clothes and meet with Yoshino. I'm not too sure how this whole thing works."

o.0.o

Haku had excellent manners. More than once, Zabuza-sama had used her to infiltrate a party at an important estate or fort. Young ladies were seldom asked for an invitation, especially if they had seduced a young officer earlier that day. She didn't need to carry weapons. In fact, most of the time, no-one knew she was a ninja at all.

"_Still,"_ she thought. _"It is nice to have someone fussing about my kimono being just right and to make sure that I say things properly."_

"I am sure it will be fine." Yoshino said, stepping back, then she held a yellow kimono right next to Haku. "Ooh... what to do..."

Haku permitted a smile to play on her lips. She was enjoying this immensely. Finally, after a few more mutterings, she left Haku dressed in a dark blue kimono with a red persimmons design on it. It was very formal, and appropriate with the coming of autumn.

She noticed the young boy that had accompanied Shikaku and Yoshino to the Hokage's office looking at her with a contemplative look. Shyly she approached her brother-to-be.

"Hello."

The boy took a moment before answering, looking away with a small pout. "Hi."

"I'm Haku."

"Shikamaru." the boy thought for a moment, but didn't look at her. "My parents are going to adopt you. That's troublesome."

"You don't want them to?" Haku asked, a small cold spike of irrational fear rushing down her back.

Shikamaru blushed. "N-no, it's not that." he looked at her. "I've gotten used to being the only son so..."

Haku relaxed a bit. "It will be fun!" she smiled. "Do you like to play any games?"

Shikamaru seemed a bit embarrassed and looked away. "I don't like running around. I like board games."

"I like board games too." Haku said. "What type of board games do you like?"

"Dad is teaching me how to play Shogi. I like Go too."

Haku raised an eyebrow. Shogi and Go at such a young age? "I'd be glad to play with you!"

Shikamaru looked surprised and after a moment nodded, turning away from her.

Yoshino rushed into the room. "Haku! Come on, everyone is ready!"

o.0.o

The ceremony was short, and as Sarutobi had predicted a mere formality. But as the proceedings went on, Haku felt that she was truly being accepted into the Nara Clan. She was introduced to several of the elders. Some smiled kindly at her, and some didn't, but most had a glint to their eye and it was welcoming.

It was a long night of celebrations. Shikamaru had fallen asleep halfway through the meeting and even when dinner was served he had barely shown any real enthusiasm, although his eyes did light up a bit when a plate of grilled mackerels was placed in close proximity.

Shikamaru was just like his father. Shikaku had shown no real interest in the proceedings until she had been formally adopted. Then he had expressed his interest in food.

Yoshino seemed to scare just about every male Nara, but was held in high regard by the other women in the clan. She didn't shy away from telling off either of them in front of everyone and/or smacking them in the head for lack of manners.

It was during dinner that she noticed that Jiraiya had left.

o.0.o

"Leaving already, Jiraiya-sensei?" Haku asked as Jiraiya reached the gates of the Nara compound.

The Toad Sannin smirked and turned around. "I'm not too big on formal parties like this one, Haku-chan. I am a free man, and free men don't take life too seriously."

Haku smiled, although she felt pain at loosing her second mentor. "Where will you go now, sensei?"

Jiraiya took a deep breath and looked up at the stars. "I have been thinking of writing another book." he said, then immediately shook his head. "I mean, writing a book..." he groaned when he noticed Haku's look. "Yes I wrote a book, no it is not for sale anymore, and no I will not give you a copy."

Haku shook her head. "Sensei..."

The legendary ninja smiled at his student. "How about you change into some real clothes and we go practice your jutsu?" when Haku looked surprised he smirked. "Well, I cannot simply leave my student without one last lesson, can I?"

o.0.o

The training ground was a huge area that contained everything: plenty of water, foliage, open spaces, and, if the training required it, traps.

"Haku, all these months as we have studied your family martial art I have studied deep into the scrolls left by your mother and ancestors to learn how much I could possibly teach you. Although there are several secrets that you will have to figure out on your own, if you manage to tag me in this last spar, I will tell you one of the most valuable ones in your family history."

Haku was surprised to hear this, but nodded. "I will touch you at least once, sensei!"

The young ninja jumped at the Sannin, throwing senbon needles at him. Having seen Haku fight, and having trained her himself, he easily dodged the senbons and the following batch.

"Come on, Haku-chan! I've trained you better than this!" he taunted.

Haku used every trick she knew, every faint she had learned from Zabuza-sama. The Sannin stayed ahead of her every move.

For an hour and a half they sparred until, with a shout and a spurt of chakra, Haku furiously forced the Sennin back to the edge of the small brook that crossed the training grounds. Again, Jiraiya dodged the desperate attacks until finally, Haku stepped back and fell on her back, breathing heavily. A few moments later, her breathing calmed down, although it was obvious she was exhausted and had fallen asleep where she lay.

Feeling their audience, Jiraiya nodded at Yoshino and Shikaku, who came out of the foliage. Yoshino quickly picked up the unconcious Haku, while Shikaku shook his head.

"It is amazing what she can do at such an age." he said.

Jiraiya smiled. "Yeah, she is quite the fighter." he stepped forward and almost fell as something held his left foot in place.

Surprised, he turned around and looked at the small brook. Haku had forced him to take a step back in the last barrage of attacks and his left foot had landed in the brook. It was now encased in ice. Not enough to really stop him, but probably enough to make a ninja make a mistake.

o.0.o

The next morning Haku woke up in a bed.

Her body ached like hell, and she remembered going overboard trying to hit Jiraiya-sensei with a little regret. She should have conserved her energy and though out her attack. It seemed that in her exhilarating day she had completely let her feelings get to her head.

She sighed and sat on the bed, looking around her room. She had to smile at that. HER room. She had a closet, mostly empty, except for the few clothes in her backpack and the kimonos Jiraiya and Yoshino had bought her, a chest at the foot of her bed, and a desk. The room was much bigger than what she was used to. She then noticed something on the desk.

Haku stood up and walk to the desk, having to climb up on the chair to comfortably reach what had called her attention.

There was a small present wrapped in orange and golden paper, next to it were her three scrolls, and a small envelope.

Opening the envelope, she began to read. Tears quickly reached her eyes and, slowly she put down the letter and carefully unwrapped her present.

"The Gutsy Ninja" she read out the title. "By Jiraiya of the Sannin" she smiled to herself. "Sensei..."

o.0.o

_Haku,_

_It has been an honor to be your teacher, even if it was only for such a short time. _

_However, it is time for me to leave, as I have a mission to accomplish._

_I have several places to visit and lots of information to gather!_

_My last present for you, my dear student, is my book, and yet another secret of your clan._

_There is more to the Family History Scroll than meets the eye._

_I suggest you try to see how cold you can make it. I believe you are ready to learn about this if not use it._

_I will contact you in the next few years! Do me and Z-sama proud!_

_-Jiraiya_

**Next Chapter:**

"_Let's see... make it as cold as I can..."_

**Now to answer some of the amazing reviews:**

**Lithius Amarantinos**: Thank you very much for the excellent review. I have to say I do agree that lengthier chapters are usually preferable, and if you take some time to look at some of my other fics, such as Magic Knight Pokémon, or SOU: Food and Love, you'll see a much more deeper level of editing and longer writing. On this instance, I am letting the story flow naturally, and that dictates the length of the chapter :) all of the work is done on first draft, and after a quick re-read posted. It's a bit haphazard, perhaps, but I'm taking it easy on this one and enjoying every bit of it ;)

**MischievousPuck**: Thanks for your support! And I am glad you are enjoying the story!

**redrobin**: O.O' he does, doesn't he?

o.0.o

Remember guys and gals, I love hearing from you! Let me know what you think of the story! You letting me know helps me move things faster! :D


	7. Chapter 7

Myst and Leaves

by Wanderer D

**Chapter 7**

It had been three months since Jiraiya-sensei had left, and as Haku thought on her master's last words she growled in annoyance.

"A problem, Haku-chan?" the Chunin seating across from her asked.

"N-no..." Haku shook her head, then looked sheepishly at the Chunin instructor. "I'm sorry, Kurenai-sensei, I don't think Genjutsu is going to be one of my strengths."

Kurenai laughed. "Nonsense." she looked down at the diagrams. "You have advanced a lot in the last month, and we only have one more week before my training with you ends." she smirked. "You have the Uchiha's already wary of your increased knowledge and ability. I hear that idiot Fugaku is already trying to get his youngest kid to train harder."

Haku smiled slightly. "I hope he doesn't get hurt."

Kurenai shrugged. "I wouldn't worry. We all have seen how Itachi dotes over him. I'm sure he'll keep the elder Uchiha in check."

Haku nodded.

"Speaking of which..." Kurenai continued, blushing a bit. "What type of person is he?"

Haku blink-blinked, then smiled impishly at her teacher. "Kurenai-sensei, don't tell me you..."

"Not at all!" Kurenai spoke up shaking her head a bit too hard in Haku's opinion. "I just... well... I wonder what he is like, that's all. I've never had a chance to really talk to him..."

Haku sighed. "Itachi-ni... sensei... is a very private person. He is very strict with his training, and he tried to keep his distance... but he is kind. He is different from the other Uchiha. I don't know how to put it... he cares a lot for all of us."

Kurenai blinked. "You mean, children?" then she smiled. "Were you going to call him nii-san?"

Haku blushed and shook her head. "Konoha." she answered, ignoring the second comment. She looked at the sky and passing clouds. "He relishes in helping Konoha. I can tell from the way he taught me. He wants Konoha to be strong but not uncaring."

Kurenai smiled. "It always amazes me, Haku-chan, how good you are at reading people."

The adopted Nara smirked. "It is troublesome at times. I admit, sensei."

The Chunin groaned. "Not you too. Shikaku-san is more than enough!" she was about to say something when her eyes strayed from Haku and her mouth clamped shot.

Haku followed Kurenai's glare to its victim. A young blond boy in ill-fitting orange clothes that were a couple of sizes too big for him. The boy had been watching them with a slightly envious look, but the moment that Kurenai glared at him, he cringed, turned around and walked away.

"Naruto-kun!" Haku whispered in shock, forgetting herself.

Kurenai's head snapped back to her. "You know of him?"

Blinking rapidly in surprise, Haku nodded. "Yes... I, I heard of him..."

Kurenai snorted angrily. "Keep away form him, Haku. No good can come from that de- kid."

Haku had to bite back an angry retort. She wasn't supposed to know Naruto. Jiraiya had stressed that almost every day since they had set way towards Konoha. And common sense dictated that she not give away her knowledge. She still did not know exactly what got the adults of the village in such a state where Naruto was involved. Although she was disappointed that Kurenai would feel that way.

Haku stood up. "Before he died, my father said very similar things about me... Kurenai-sempai." she bowed politely and walked away, despite knowing that her lesson with the Chunin would have continued for another hour at least.

Kurenai could only stare at Haku's back as the young prodigy walked away, clearly offended. It hadn't been her intention to hurt Haku with that comment. The child couldn't possibly know about the truth behind Naruto's nature... and yet, Haku had confided in her how little she thought of her father and town for condemning her only because of her bloodline. Such a reaction...

An uneasy feeling started to settle in her stomach as she considered what she knew of Naruto.

Barely out of the Orphanage, no-one had wanted to adopt the demon-fox child, according to the report from the council. The Hokage had seemed fit for the fox to have a place to live. That was all that she knew, other than spotting him from time to time walking down the street. He hadn't talked to her, looked at her or done anything to her, personally. But she had greeted the fox with hate every single time.

And now Haku had indirectly compared her to her biological father. A being less than human by all accounts of his behavior and ignorance and lack of compassion. A man who Kurenai had condemned every night since she had heard what he had done to Haku's mother and what he had almost done to Haku. A man upon she fervently wished the worst tortures of hell.

A man whom she felt so different from, so alienated. Until now. Was she really like that?

Disconcerted, Kurenai also stood up, but made no attempt to call Haku back, or even follow her.

o.0.o

Naruto walked away from the training ground. He had heard some of the villagers talk about a really young ninja being trained there, and he had gone to take a look. He hadn't done anything to them and yet he had felt the hatred coming his way.

He sighed and kicked a stone. It bounced a couple of feet and hit something. Slowly looking up, he followed the stone, to the foot, to the leg and up, to stare at the Chunin from earlier.

Fearfully he took a step back, but she didn't do anything other than to look at him. Trying to read her intentions he looked at her eyes.

The red irises were a turmoil of expressions. Far too many for a young child to fully appreciate. But Haku would have recognized the clear message behind the wavering stare.

The woman started walking towards him and Naruto closed his eyes, cringing involuntarily. He had met other ninja and they had all kicked him or punched him. He knew he couldn't escape now.

He could hear the footsteps coming closer.

He braced himself for what was coming.

When the footsteps stopped he waited for a moment. Then waited again, deciding that maybe the girl was deciding where to kick him. When no physical violence ensued he dared open one sky-blue eye then the other one.

The Chunin wasn't hitting him. She had stopped right next to Naruto and was staring straight ahead, pointedly not looking at him. The young boy could see a series of emotions playing on her face. Her hand slowly came up and again he closed his eyes.

He felt her palm press against his head. He waited for it.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun."

The hand left his hair. The footsteps resumed and faded away.

Naruto opened his eyes and turned around, but the Chunin was gone.

o.0.o

Haku walked up a series of steps to where she usually laid down to watch the clouds. As she approached her favorite tree, which had been shown to her as a premium cloud-watching place by Shikamaru, she noticed her brother was there already.

"Hey Shika-kun." Haku said flopping down next to the other kid, pinning the plump youth between them. "Who's your friend?"

Shikamaru, who had already laid back to look at the clouds merely looked at her. "Aren't you supposed to be in class?"

Haku shrugged and looked at the other boy. "Hi, I'm Haku."

The boy smiled sweetly and nodded, gulping down the chips he had been chewing before answering. "My name is Akimichi Choji." he nodded. "Pleased to meet you."

They remained silent for a while, watching the clouds, with only the sounds of Choji eating interrupting the peace.

"You know..." Choji suddenly said. "If we had one more person we could play Ninja if we wanted."

Haku smiled. "Sure! I have some old notes in my room we can use to make the origami shuriken."

Shikamaru snorted, still looking up. "You seem to forget that we still need someone else to play, Aneki."

Haku grinned. "I know just the guy."

o.0.o

Naruto sighed as he threw a stone into the lake.

Konoha's central park was always weird for him. He would go there to watch children play and hope to meet friends. But as he would start making a connection, some villager or other would tell the children not to play with him. The children would listen and he would be alone again.

Today had been such a day. He had met a blond girl his age, crying and had quickly gotten her to cheer up, but when her parents had come up to see what had been wrong with her, they had blamed him and taken her away without even giving him a chance to explain. Her mom had even threatened to punch him if he ever got close to her daughter again.

He sighed again.

"Hey."

When Naruto didn't turn, another voice called. "Hey, you, blond kid."

Groaning at his bad luck, Naruto turned around. He knew how things would play out. The bullies and the kids that hated him would gang up on him and beat him until a ninja would eventually step in to shoo them away, leaving Naruto behind to get home on his own.

The troop was smaller than usual. Two boys and a girl. Maybe he could fight them, or out run them. He stepped back warily, ready to bolt when they attacked.

o.0.o

Haku hurt. She could not bear to see the young boy she met in her last life, so full of life and pain and cheerfulness... scared of her. He was ready to run.

She smiled a bit, although it slipped a bit when he stepped back again. "My name is Nara Haku. This is my brother Nara Shikamaru and our friend, Akimichi Choji."

Naruto didn't move, but he was obviously curious. Clearly the other kids never bothered to introduce themselves. He nodded slightly. "My name is Uzumaki Naruto."

"We wanted to play Ninja..." Shikamaru said suddenly, looking at Naruto with a slightly bored expression. "But we are missing a person."

"Would you like to play with us?" Choji asked, finishing for all of them.

Naruto looked like he couldn't believe what he was hearing, trying not to cry, Haku showed him the origami shuriken. "We brought weapons?"

Naruto grinned.

o.0.o

They played until it started to get dark. Through the games, Haku had sensed several familiar presences. Shikaku had been there, with another person. Kurenai-sempai had been another. She was still angry at the Chunin, but at least the Genjutsu master had not interfered and had eventually left. It wasn't until twilight that she noticed the bad intentions from people walking towards them.

"Hey kids. Step away from the boy in orange and go home." A man said, making all of them turn to look at the arriving adults.

There were seven of them, and one of them was a Chunin. Haku cursed. Villagers could be scared away easily, a Chunin might hurt her friends. Her thoughts drifted to the scrolls left in her room. She hadn't been slacking off, but with all the training she had been given in Konoha by several Chunin and Jonin she had ignored her Ice Techniques in favor of the vastly different learning from her time in Kimigakure and under Zabuza-sama's tutelage. She could have used some of the techniques now to disorient the villagers at a low chakra-cost.

"You kids should do as he says." The Chunin spoke, nodding towards one of the villagers. "You don't want to hang out with that brat. He'll only bring you pain and betrayal in the long run."

"Yeah. Let us take care of him so he never bothers you again!" Another villager laughed, cracking his knuckles and chuckling evilly.

Haku took a defensive stance. "The only bad fortune today has been the sudden arrival of a bunch of drunken idiots and captain pompous." she growled.

Shikamaru took a cautious step forward. "Aneki, we should all run. If we can create a distraction I am sure we'll be all safe back home."

Haku nodded without taking her eyes from the angry group in front of them. "Take Naruto straight to the house, and don't let them follow you."

Shikamaru nodded, looking nervously at her. "Don't get hurt."

"This ought to be good." The Chunin said. "I know who you are. The Nara Prodigy." he spat. "I don't care how good you are kid, you are no better than anyone else. And you are certainly not better than any Uchiha!"

The shout was the only warning she had. In an instant the Chunin was on her, trying to kick her. Although he was faster than she was, Haku had much more experience than him. She might be a child now, but she made up for it with her intimate knowledge of combat.

Instincts kicking in, Haku's hands deflected the kick as her body moved to absorb the energy of the attack. She retaliated, jumping over the overstretched leg and trying a kick of her own.

The Chunin was fast enough to catch her leg and threw her away from him. Haku landed hard on the ground, but she was already rolling to a stand.

She heard a grunt and a scream and she looked in horror at the villagers, who were holding Naruto, Shikamaru and Choji in their arms.

"Don't get distracted!" the Chunin shouted attacking again. "Consider this a free lesson, brat!"

o.0.o

Naruto struggled in the arms of the villager. He recognized this bunch as a group that usually picked on him and would hit him constantly. They were part of the few that would get away before helped arrived because they had a ninja, Chunin or even Jonin at times, helping them and warning them if someone was coming.

He was impressed with Haku's ability, but when the Chunin jumped at her and punched her because she was distracted, he feared for her. She landed on her back and didn't get up immediately, but the Chunin screamed in pain.

Naruto saw him fall to his knees and hold up a hand that had some sort of big needle going completely through it.

Haku stood up slowly and wiped blood from a split lip. Naruto winced. He knew how those stung later on.

He started struggling again.

o.0.o

The Chunin ripped the senbon needle out of his hand and glared at Haku. "I'm gonna kill you you little bitch!"

Haku gritted her teeth. The needle had been more instinct than anything. The Chunin was sloppy, and most likely underestimating her. But now...

The ninja's eyes turned red, and she was suddenly reminded of her fight with the Uchiha kid at the Wave Country. When something similar had happened to him, he had been able to start dodging her attacks. This was not good. The Chunin had probably much more experience with his bloodline than a Genin.

Her enemy seemed to blur and suddenly, she couldn't breathe. Her brain couldn't explain why until her eyes focused on the fist buried in her stomach. Haku crumbled under the strength of the punch.

o.0.o

Naruto watched in horror as one of his new and only friends fell unconscious after a vicious punch from the ninja.

Anger welled within him and he could feel something within stir as the ninja picked up Haku by the neck.

With a sudden burst of strength, Naruto bit on his captor's hand as hard as he could, tasting blood.

The man screamed.

o.0.o

The Chunin looked at the villager as he let go of Naruto. The boy, snarling, ran towards him. With a snort, the Chunin kicked Naruto on the chest, knocking him down.

It was then that he felt something. His head whipped around to Haku, who had both her hands grasping his wrist.

But that was not what worried him. It was the fact that he could no longer feel his hand.

o.0.o

Haku concentrated hard. The cold wind the strange ninja had taught her seeped into the hand that was holding her. She didn't just want to numb it, she wanted him to hurt!

_Colder!_ She thought. _Colder!_

Her hands wrapped tighter around the wrist.

_Colder!_

She gritted her teeth, thinking of Naruto, Zabuza, Shikamaru, Jiraiya...

"Frozen Wind!" she shouted finally, fingers digging into the hand that held her.

There was a crack and then a the sound of something crashing into bits. Haku unceremoniously landed on the ground, not understanding what had happened.

Then the Chunin started to scream and the villagers were running away.

o.0.o

The Hokage looked at the four children and the two fathers.

"I trust that what Naruto-kun, Haku-chan, Shikamaru-kun and Choji-kun said is true and that this happened in self defense."

Haku looked up, slighly offended. "I assure you, Hokage-sama that..."

"Oji-san! We are telling the truth! They are the same guys that have attacked me before!" Naruto interrupted.

An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

It was broken by a knock on the door.

"Come in." Sarutobi called from behind his desk, glad for once, about the interruption.

A young man in ANBU uniform stepped in. He looked at the group for a second, then looked at the Hokage.

"Hokage-sama, I came to report that Tomoyuki-kun is in the hospital and is stable, although his hand was completely destroyed in the fight."

"Thank you, Itachi-kun. Has he said anything about his side of the story?" Sarutobi asked.

Itachi looked down at the children, his gaze lingering on Naruto, then Haku.

"Yes, Hokage-sama. According to Tomoyuki-kun, Haku-san, Naruto-kun and the other two ambushed him as he was on his way to buy Okonomiyaki for that night's dinner. He intends to pursue the matter and no doubt will have captain Fugaku process a formal procedure to have the two 'felons' arrested and punished appropriately."

"Thank you, Itachi-kun, you are dismissed." Sarutobi said with a sigh.

"What?!" Naruto shouted. "That's a lie!"

Choji looked nervously at his father, who shook his head and smiled.

Shikamaru tried to look unperturbed, but looked a bit grateful when Shikaku placed his hand on his and Haku's shoulder.

"Who do you believe, Aniki?" Haku asked, her hand unconsciously sneaking up to touch Shikaku's for comfort, surprising both him and the Hokage.

Itachi looked at Haku impassibly. It was impossible to see what was going inside his head. He shook his head and turned to leave.

On the doorway he stopped. "It would be convenient for the Hokage to know that the one place that serves Okonomiyaki in Konoha is on the other side of the village. Completely opposite from the park. It should also be noted that Tomoyuki-kun has a rather boastful personality and has bragged about his abusing of Naruto-kun several times in public." he paused, seeming to think for a moment. "It is also worth mentioning that the ANBU team that caught up with them, managed to see the last bit of the fight, a fact that my f- Fugaku-sama is well aware of. He is at the moment trying to identify them to keep them from interfering."

Sarutobi had started smiling when Itachi had started to talk. With a wordless nod, he acknowledged the information the Uchiha Prodigy had given him.

Itachi looked over his shoulder at Haku and nodded just slightly before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

o.0.o

That night, Haku sat in her room as she extended her family history scroll. Thinking back on what she had done that day, she took a deep breath.

She had postponed this long enough. In her studies, a couple of her teachers, including Kurenai-sempai had mentioned that sometimes a ninja's weakness was psychological, rather than physical. It could of course be anything, but she had to learn from the clues. Find out what irked them, what type of situation or thing they avoided without apparent reason. In all likelihood the analysis would not be too helpful during combat. But if her task was to hunt a nukenin, for example, learning what made him "tick" would help in his defeat.

Thus, today she had recognized her psychological weakness. She was avoiding her studies into her clan's power. Before, as a tool, it was simple. It was an extra ability for Zabuza-sama to use in his fight. Now... it had a history. It was related to people that existed before her. The weight of these traditions, training and techniques had scared her.

She started slowly, placing her hands on the extended scroll and closed her eyes. The air around her cooled down, as her thoughts flowed into her being.

"Colder." she whispered.

The temperature dropped further, and mist started to materialize around her.

"Colder."

The scroll slowly stretched out completely. There was no part of it that could even indicate that it had been rolled up at some point.

"Colder..."

Frost started to cover the scroll.

"Colder..."

Tendrils of blue light flashed, making Haku open her eyes. The family tree had disappeared, and now new letters and names appeared on it. She turned the scroll horizontally and read the only two names on it.

"Asano Hyoga" she read aloud. "And Asano Saori." she recognized the name as Hyoga's daughter in the family tree.

She recognized this now, for what it was. A summoning contract.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to act before common sense kicked in and stopped her. Biting her thumb, she drew blood. Pressing her little thumb against the frozen paper, she signed in her name. "Asano Haku of the Nara and Senju clans." she said as she wrote.

A sudden gust of wind blasted her out of the way. The room spinned around her and suddenly, she was waist deep in snow.

It was nighttime, a full moon cast blue-sliver light all around her. Stars sparkled, unusually bright and clear even with the light from the moon. She was in a small clearing in a forest. She looked at the magnificent pine-trees all around her, and then she stopped in shock.

Emerging from the trees was a huge white wolf. Spikes of ice seemed to function as an armor of sorts around his shoulders and back. His snout was covered in a crystalline helm, giving his glowing yellow eyes and even creepier look. Ice protectors covered all four of his shins. Each of his paws was as wide and big as a house and he rose as tall as the tallest of the trees around them.

Haku stared, completely at a loss for words or thoughts.

The wolf looked down on her, as if considering. A whiff of his nose and slowly a smile spread, showing white fangs twice as long as a man was tall.

"**You are a young one, aren't you?" **the wolf said. She knew it was the wolf speaking, although he had not made any movements other than the smile. **"Tell me cub. How is it that you are here? How come you to be in the land of my Lord, the Wendigo?"**

o.0.o

**NEXT CHAPTER:**

"_Wendigo? Who is he? And what is your name?"_

"_I can smell the blood of the Asano line in you cub."_

"_That doesn't answer my question."_

**Author's notes**:

Aneki is the female version of Aniki. I just think the concept of Shikamaru calling Haku Aneki as if they were in the Yakuza very amusing. Same for Haku calling Itachi Aniki.

Yes the change in how Haku addresses Kurenai is intentional.

I also cannot promise that the chapters are going to be always as long or longer than this one.

**And now, for the reviews**:

**Dermonster**: Well, I am glad the story has you intrigued! :D Again, I will not make promises on the pairing, although I will admit I am some what of a Naru/Hina fan.

**Alucard180**: Heh, the book thing will come up again at a later time. Jiraiya was almost prophetic when he called the "Gutsy Ninja" Naruto.

**Redrobin**: Go is so complicated! Argh! I mean, yes, simple in essence but have you tried to play against a 1-dan? My respect for Shikamaru's intellect and as a strategist has gone up several notches. He is pretty much downplayed in almost all fan fiction I've read. So I might have work on that a lot.

**Youknowwhatman**: More to come!

o.0.o

Remember guys and gals, I love hearing from you! Let me know what you think of the story! You letting me know helps me move things faster! Is it worth continuing? Let me know! :D


	8. Chapter 8: Wendigo

Myst and Leaves

by Wanderer D

**Chapter 8**

The armored wolf stared down at the human-cub with interest. It had been ages since anyone had invoked his kind. And of those, few had been deemed worthy.

"**Tell me cub, how did you get here? Was it by treachery? Or by your own merit?"**

Haku gulped. The wolf was huge. She had of course seen Jiraiya summon several toads of many sizes, and he had told her of Gamabunta, who was surely as large as this wolf. Although she was afraid, she was more curious about the strange feelings of kinship this creature invoked in her.

"My name is Asano Haku of the Nara and Senju Clans." she looked the creature square in the eye. "And I got here on my own power."

The wolf grinned. **"You claim an impressive bloodline, Haku of the Asano, Nara and Senju Clans."** he lowered his head so that his snout was level with her chest and she could peek just above it at his eyes if she stood on her toes. **"The Asano Clan and the Senju Clan are well known to me. I met one man from each clan. And I have heard of the Nara Clan, as the howls of my kin reach me from across the universe. Deer herders, aren't they?"**

Haku blink-blinked. "If you can call keeping the grounds where the deers live herding..."

The wolf barked a laugh. **"I am a son of the Full Moon, my name is Teyaotlani."**

"Teyaotlani." Haku repeated, looking up at the wolf. "That is a strange name."

The wolf laughed. **"It is an ancient name, the meaning is known to few. I liked the sound of it."**

The young ninja nodded, making a mental note to find out what it meant. "Where am I?"

"**This is the realm of the Wendigo, my Lord and Master."** Teyaotlani said, nodding towards the woods.

"Is he bigger than you?" Haku asked, trying to hide her excitement at the possibility.

Teyaotlani laughed again. **"Yes. And no. My lord Wendigo doesn't bother with the affairs of mortals, my dear Haku. Even when the Tailed Beasts attacked, our summoners knew not to call upon him, for his fury alone is enough to put give pause to several of those demons."**

"So he is stronger than them." Haku said.

The wolf shook his head. **"He is different from me and from them. I do not know how more powerful he might be than the tailed beasts. I only know they don't bother him and he doesn't bother with them."**

"Oh." Haku sighed. So much for invoking him.

"**You are still far from being able to summon any of us, cub." **Teyaotlani said as if reading her mind.** "You have to pass a test before you can summon any wolf bigger than an average man, it is not just a matter of Chakra or even Senjutsu..."**

"Senjutsu?" Haku asked.

"**The wolf grinned. The secret art of Nature Chakra. You have an affinity to it thanks to your bloodline ability, but to achieve mastery of that... it goes further than simple affinity. You need talent and practice. Few can ever achieve full mastery of it, and those that can are known as sages."**

Haku nodded, intrigued. If she could learn to harness such a Chakra, helping Zabuza-sama achieve his dreams would become easier. "Can you teach me?"

Teyaotlani snorted.** "No."** when Haku looked downcast, he sighed. **"Haku, it is not that I will not, I can't. There are very few who can teach it to mortals. This ability comes to summons naturally. There is a sage in the Toad Clan that knows how to teach it to mortals, in fact, I have heard that he was successful in teaching it to a student of his, but that is almost unheard of."**

"There must be one of you that could." Haku said, taking the wolf's proud demeanor to her advantage, she continued, "I'm sure that the Toad Clan cannot be more powerful or more knowledgeable."

The armored wolf looked slightly nervous.** "Well, yes."** he grudgingly conceded. **"There is such a wolf in the Wendigo Clan."**

"When can I meet him?!"

"**Her. And well, it will take some time, Haku, she's... indisposed right now."**

Haku arched an eyebrow. "How so?"

The wolf rolled his eyes and lied down. **"Okay cub, I'm telling you this because there is no way in the frozen wastelands that you'll get close to her. You have to be brought to reality. Akela was her name, and she was assigned specifically to aid your ancestor, Hyoga, by Wendigo itself. She never taught him how to use Senjutsu. He knew already. Alone, he was amazing, but with Akela... they were nigh invincible."** the wolf looked mildly annoyed. 

**"Hyoga was a special case. He passed all the tests until Wendigo himself tested him.**" A slight hint of awe reached the wolf's voice.

"**He withstood Wendigo's test and did not become a snack. And thus Wendigo granted him the right to summon her. Years passed and with Akela's help, Hyoga brought peace to the lands where he lived."** With a motion of his head, he indicated to Haku that he wished her to climb onto his back. As she did he carried on talking. **"Hyoga was wise enough to understand what he could and couldn't do and thus avoided wars with other powerful countries and soon he was able to live a relatively peaceful life."** Haku had to grab the fur with both hands as the gargantuan wolf stood up. 

**"Akela and him became so close that by the time he died, she disappeared completely. We never heard of her again. No other wolf has the ability to teach Senjutsu as she did, and to be blunt I doubt anyone else will."** Despite his size, somehow the trees were not perturbed as he walked amongst them. Barely a twig moved by his passing. 

**"We don't care much for the other worlds. We have a kinship with the Wolf Clan, but the Wendigo Clan keeps to its lands and to itself. We have almost no contact with the humans or other mortals. We have no need to teach secret arts, or adapt our ways for them."**

Still paying attention to Teyaotlani Haku was nevertheless drawn to look ahead, as something seemed to pulse with a palpable energy in the direction they were going. Teyaotlani seemed to ignore it. **"Akela was different. She lived with the Wolf Clan for a time and even allowed herself to be summoned once or twice by mortals. She enjoyed study and the arts that the mortals created. She was a scholar, daughter of the Crescent Moon; a visionary. Eventually, she came back when Wendigo itself called her to help Hyoga."**

o.0.o

They had arrived to another, larger, clearing. In the middle of it was some sort of stone arrangement. Five stone pillars created a semi circle around a circular flat rock. Five larger flat rocks surrounded the structure, and as Haku watched, pairs of wolves, the larger variety (although none as large as Teyaotlani) and normal sized emerged from the forests around it. The wolves gave her curious looks but didn't say a word as they sat on the flat rocks, the normal-sized wolves sitting in front of them. There was just one larger flat stone that had no-one on it, other than the smaller wolf, sitting in front of it.

Teyaotlani lowered his head to allow Haku to jump off.

A normal-sized wolf, still larger than Haku, nodded towards her. **"Go stand on the central stone of the Voice of the Moon."** he indicated with a shake of his snout the center of the structure.

Haku, a bit self conscious and more than a bit nervous walked forward. On the way, two white wolves joined her, escorting her until she was standing on the stone, starting at the nine gathered wolves and with the two white ones seating to her left and right.

She was measuring her options. If this was one of the tests Teyaotlani had talked about, she might not be able to pass it. She was just a small child, after all. Maybe if she had been sixteen again, she could have had a chance. The wolves's thick pelts were a guarantee against her ice powers, and she doubted her feeble genjutsu would provide a challenge to their noses, even if it worked on their other senses.

One of the large wolves spoke with a surprisingly soft voice. **"Calm down, little one. There is nothing to fear."**

Teyaotlani spoke next. **"My brothers and sisters, I present to you Asano Haku, of the Nara and Senju Clans."** he looked around. "She has claimed that she has come to us under her own power. And I believe her. I have brought her to the Voice of the Moon for her to be judged.

"Judged?" Haku asked worried.

"**Do not fret, cub."** The wolf to her right spoke. His voice was composed and possessed a sense of calm that helped her relax as the other explained.

"**We are not to judge you, the Moon will. If she is displeased you will not be allowed here anymore, but no harm will come to you, as you have come in good faith and by your own means."**

As one, the nine wolves rose their heads and howled at the sky. The moon's brightness seemed to increase, bathing all of the forest, the wolves and the temple in its light.

Slowly the light diminished, and Haku watched amaze as the four pillars shone with a light that seemed to have been absorbed into them. The light pulsated, and one by one four of the pillars darkened with each pulse until only one kept doing it as brightly as the first beat of all the other pillars.

One of the wolves stood up. She, and Haku knew it was a she somehow even before she spoke, looked at the other assembled wolves and smiled. She was half the size of Teyaotlani but, like all the other wolves commanded respect. There was a hint of mischief in her eyes that Haku found she liked. **"The Moon has spoken. This child is allowed to summon those of Clan Wendigo. Furthermore, the Moon has let us know that Haku was born under the influence of the New Moon."** the other wolves nodded solemnly.

Teyaotlani stood up next. **"The sons and daughters of the Full Moon accept Haku into the pack, and will allow her to summon us, provided that as she grows in life and experience she passes the tests that befit warriors of our stature."**

"What's happening now?" Haku asked on of the wolves to her sides.

"**Beletia has accepted to watch over you, as you are a daughter of the New Moon."** the wolf to her left answered.

"**Now all that remains is for at least three moon clans to back you up, opening to you the full potential of summoning us, or, if no-one speaks after Teyaotlani you will be limited to wolves of the New and Full Moons."** the other wolf added.

The lone, normal-sized wolf that had come to the gathering without a larger companion stepped forward.** "It is my belief that Akela of the Crescent Moon would have not only accepted Haku as a packmate, but she would have been the first to speak on her behalf. As such, I, Ladios accept her into the pack. She will be able to summon us when her mind is ready to undertake the tests befitting our own and emerges victorious."**

A wolf, almost as big as Teyaotlani, with a full black mane stood up next. **"I, Fa Guan of the Half Moon do not accept Haku into our pack."** his announcement caused Teyaotlani to growl, but the largest wolf kept quiet.

Fa Guan's eyes strayed to the last of the large wolves yet to speak. His gaze calmly followed the red-furred wolf as she stood up.** "I, Somnio of the Gibbous moon accept Haku into the pack, may her experience and dreams guide her through the tests that await her if she chooses to summon us."**

Fa Guan's eyes didn't betray any emotion as they turned to look at Haku. Silently, he walked away. One by one all the wolves left until only Beletia, Teyaotlani and the two white wolves remained with her.

The armored wolf smiled at Haku. **"Well cub, here we part ways for now. I hope to see you grow into a fine warrior and for you to be able to pass my test."** with a slight nod, Teyaotlani walked away.

A sudden burst of wind buffeted all of them, and before Haku's eyes, the two white wolves slowly disintegrated into snow, only to be carried away by the wind.

Haku almost jumped back, but the presence of the last wolf kept her in place. Beletia smiled at Haku. "Well cub, that must have been scary."

Haku nodded. "What will happen to me now?" a sudden thought crossed her mind. "And why is it that I have been so calm during all of this?"

Beletia laughed. "I like you cub! You have a fine mind! Now we need to make it as creative as possible!"

Haku blink-blinked. "Okay?"

Beletia shook her head. **"You won't be able to summon me for a while, Haku."** she said. **"But in a couple of years you should be able to summon some of the young cubs, or even Odokemono here."** She nodded to the normal-sized wolf next to her. He seemed to regard Haku as if the girl was some sort of prey, and she could swear she heard him snicker when Beletia mentioned him.

Haku nodded.

"**Good luck Haku."** Beletia said, as everything slowly dematerialized in front of the girl's eyes. **"I hope to hear from you soon."**

Everything went black.

o.0.o

"Haku!"

Haku opened her eyes and stared at the blur that spoke with Yoshino's voice.

"Haku! Did you sleep on the floor all night?!" Yoshino asked, picking the girl up. "Well, I hope to you had a good rest, because you are still going to meet Kurenai-san in half an hour."

Haku looked around confused. She was back on her room. Her scrolls were open and lying on the floor. The family tree scroll didn't seem to hide anything. There were no signatures on it. There was no indication whatsoever that what she had seen had happened.

"Well, get ready to go!" Yoshino insisted. "You might not get breakfast otherwise!"

"Hai!" Haku said, snapping out of it. She would have time to think about it during her last day with Kurenai-sempai.

**Next Chapter:**

"_What do you mean he killed the whole clan?"_

**Author Notes:**

I would have posted this sooner, but I had to attend my sister's wedding. It has been a crazy last few days.

**ALSO A POLL:** I think it is about time to think about the pairing. I have a couple of ideas of who Haku should have a relationship with, but I will not tell who my character of choice is yet. However I am a fan of challenges, so if you think Haku should date someone in particular, let me know!

**Now, on to the reviews!**

**Awkio:** Thanks! The powers all are important and will come out in the fights ahead, as well as variations on them. I'm still not telling who the man who talked to her is, but I'm glad it has caught your imagination. :)

**redrobin:** I feel part of the appeal of Naruto in fanfiction is to see him become more powerful, but I have to be careful, since his original personality and development are very important in him becoming the type of ninja that will fight for those he cares about. He will certainly have more friends and be a little bit happy, but I can't promise that the actions of a few will sway the way most look at him. Their influence will definitely show, but like Athena giving wisdom to humans, it's really up to us to see how we use it!

**Lithius Amarantinos:** There's still more coming, but I hope you like what I've written about them so far. :D

ArmorOfGeddon: Thanks for the correction! Edited already. I don't have much of an excuse on the mistake, I should've known. ' kinda forgot.

Kimimaro was also a victim... imagine what would have happened if Zabuza had found him instead of Orochimaru! A little run-in with Tsunade and...

**griffin blackwood:** Thanks! I hope your paper went well! I quoted some fics on a lit essay once just to show my lecturer how many people interpreted certain books. ;)

**Youknowwhatman:** Yep.

o.0.o

Remember guys and gals, I love hearing from you! Let me know what you think of the story! You letting me know helps me move things faster! Is it worth continuing? Let me know! :D


	9. Chapter 9: Change

Myst and Leaves

by Wanderer D

**Chapter 9**

"Ha! Another one for me!" Haku exclaimed, putting down her black piece on the Go board. "That brings me up to 10 Hama!"

Shikamaru just shrugged and put down a white piece. Then he started taking away the black ones. "That makes 32 Hama for me."

Haku stared at the board incredulously, while behind her Naruto and Choji started snickering.

Before she could even speak, Yoshino called her. "Haku, your meeting with the Hokage is in half an hour! Better get ready!"

o.0.o

"Haku, as you are aware, the Academy year starts in one month. Are you sure you want to do this?" Sarutobi asked. The Hokage looked at the young girl straight in the eye. "I know you are very smart, but please stop to think before you answer. There are several reasons I want you to consider."

Haku nodded. "Hai, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi smiled. "First of all, I want you to consider that you will already know most if not all the skills she would be learning at the school. "

The young girl nodded again. When it was clear that the Hokage wanted her opinion she took a deep breath. She had been preparing her arguments before hand, just in case. "Hokage-sama, although I will know the practical skills that only a ninja can learn, the history, tactics and what makes Konoha Ninja what they are I will learn better at the Academy."

The venerable ninja chuckled. "That might be true, but that brings another point; as you are aware both Kakashi and Itachi graduated after one year in the academy. You could have entered last year and be finished by now."

"I know, but both Kakashi-sensei and Itachi-niisan are geniuses. And more importantly, I want to be a part of a team of Genin my age."

The Hokage nodded. "I wouldn't put your skills under theirs, Haku-chan."

Haku just smiled and nodded slightly, taking the compliment, although after talking to the two of them, she could clearly see that without the head start with Zabuza-sama, she wouldn't have been close enough to be considered in their caliber.

"The teamwork and same age are important." The Hokage continued. "Although I am sure by now you realize that you will not always be able to choose who you work with."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Do you know who you would like to be teamed up with?" the Hokage asked.

Haku blinked. That had been unexpected. "Uh, not really Hokage-sama. If it were up to me, I would chose a heavy fighter and a long-distance type."

The Hokage raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"As a single agent, my techniques make me perfect for assassination, but also give me an advantage as a mid-range combatant. I can support and replace both the close-combat and the long-range ninja. With good teamwork we could take a good variety of missions without over-specializing."

The Hokage nodded. "Interesting. Any names?"

Haku coughed, blushing slightly. "Ah. Naruto-kun seems to have a lot of energy. With a bit of training he would be a perfect close-combat specialist." Haku thought for a moment. "Another possibility is maybe an Uchiha or a Hyuga."

Sarutobi looked at Haku, a small smile almost taking years off the old man. "And for the long range?"

"I am not sure, Hokage-sama. I haven't met many other ninja-prospects."

The old ninja nodded. "I also have some news." he reached into one of the many drawers in his desk and pulled out three scrolls. "Jiraiya has sent this for us." he explained, opening up the first one. "He intends to officially make you his contact here in Konoha and that means many things; steady income, added responsibility and a lot of information and power." the Hokage made sure the girl was paying her whole attention to him before he continued by opening the next scroll. "This other scroll is an acceptance into a special course in medicine with one of our foremost experts, Doctor Yakushi, who is willing to teach you more about the human body." Sarutobi drilled Haku with his eyes. "Even I am impressed with the amount of knowledge you have about the human anatomy from what you have learned from books and Jiraiya."

Haku shifted uncomfortably.

"On the other hand, it is a testimony to your skills and mind-prowess and it allows me to speak to you as an adult even now." Sarutobi said. "If you accept Jiraiya's offer, I will assign weekly classes with Ibiki-san so you can learn to better handle your post. Your classes with Dr. Yakushi will take place bi-monthly and finally... a most unusual request." Sarutobi opened the last scroll. "This is an invitation from Tsume Inuzuka to oversee a bit of your training with your wolf cub..."

"Oh..." Haku mumbled. "That cub..."

Sarutobi laughed. "Haku, it is okay to have a pet, although I don't think the Nara clan will be very pleased with a wolf in their Deer forest."

Haku sighed. She had wanted to keep the Wendigo Contract a secret. But if she couldn't trust the Hokage, who could she trust? "It is not exactly a normal wolf, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi blinked.

"It's a summon."

After a lengthy explanation about her discovery of the Summoning Contract and her subsequent signing of it, up to her first attempt to several months of trying until finally being able to summon a cub a solid half year after the contract was done, Haku pulled her trump-card to be allowed to go to the Academy with Naruto, Shika and Choji.

"In any case, Hokage-sama. I still wish to go to the academy and meet other prospective ninjas. Ever since me and Shika started hanging around with Naruto-kun most of the other kids have shied away from us."

Sarutobi sighed. "Haku-chan, I am glad you, your brother and Choji have made friends with Naruto-kun, not many are inclined to even try."

"Does it have to do with-" Haku stopped. She had almost completed her sentence _"the red chakra?"_ and it would have been devastating. As it was the Hokage was suddenly very interested in her.

"With what, Haku-chan? Has someone told you something about Naruto-kun?"

"Ah... no, Hokage-sama." Haku could see he was not convinced. "I just wondered why the villagers chased him around and why Shika and I had to hide him last October from a mob." she ventured. It had been a scary reminder of the group of villagers that had gathered to burn her own mother at the stake.

Sarutobi sighed as many things started to connect inside of Haku's head. She had been busy, and scared for Naruto. She hadn't known what the festival was about the first two times. When she had gone by herself with Shikamaru and their parents she had seen the depictions of the battle of the Yondaime destroying...

Haku's eyes opened wide and she stared incredulously at the Hokage. All this time, it was in front of her. From when she had met Naruto, almost four years ago in the future. The blast of chakra that had destroyed her mirrors... the eyes... the red mist and the voice that had sent her to her new life...

"Kyuubi..."

Sarutobi's head snapped up and he stared at her. For a moment he thought one of the villagers had told her, but the sudden realization, the horror in her eyes and the sudden pity that flooded her eyes and face told him that she had come to the conclusion herself.

"You are not to speak of this to anyone, Haku." He said in no uncertain terms. "The penalty is death. Only myself and Naruto can tell this to anyone, and Naruto..."

"Doesn't know..." Haku looked up at the Hokage. "Why... why don't you tell him? What..."

Sarutobi shook his head. "Haku, give me your word, on your life that you will not tell Naruto or anyone else of this discovery."

Haku nodded numbly. "I promise, Hokage-sama but..." she shuddered. "Shouldn't Naruto know? He's always so confused... and afraid..."

Sarutobi motioned for the girl to sit down. "Let me tell you about the Yondaime's battle against Kyuubi."

o.0.o

"Well, summon or not, it still is a wolf, and a canine and close enough to our own breed of dogs." Tsume Inuzuka said, looking down at Haku, and at the wolf cub, Wiglaf.

Haku and the cub shared worried looks.

Kuromaru, noticing the glances barked a laugh, startling the girl and the cub.

Tsume chuckled. "Don't worry, the only thing we will work on is teamwork and understanding of your companion. You can ask Kakashi-san how effective a teacher I am!"

A small, shrill bark came from behind her and soon a puppy came running up to Kuromaru, followed by a feral looking boy.

"This is my son, Kiba and his partner, Akamaru." Tsume said, proudly ruffling his hair. "He'll train with you on the basic teamwork exercises."

o.0.o

"First you will familiarize yourself with this book." Dr. Yakushi said, passing Haku a thick gray book. "It contains a detailed anatomical analysis. Then you will read this one," he passed her an equally thick blue book. "Which contains information and diagrams of Chakra Coils and how they work." he turned to look at her. "I realize that you will be starting school in less than a month now, Haku-san, but I am the head of the Konoha Hospital and I cannot expect anything but the best from anyone I choose to train."

"Hai, sensei." Haku nodded.

The man didn't acknowledge her nod, and only sat down behind his desk. "I expect you to be able to tell me how Chakra Coils affect the nervous system of a person by the time you start the Academy."

"Hai, sensei."

The man nodded. "You may go." with a wave of his hand, he motioned at the young Genin who had quietly kept watch over their exchange. "Kabuto, please show Haku-san to the entrance of the hospital."

"Hai, Otousan."

Haku struggled to look ahead and not blush. Kabuto was kinda cute.

o.0.o

"..."

"..."

Ten minutes later...

"..."

"..."

Two hours later...

"..."

"Okay, I give, just stop staring at me like that!"

The scarred man shook his head. "Your first lesson will be how not to break under pressure."

"..."

"And no, a poker face is not enough. Good try, Haku."

"I aim to please, Ibiki-sensei."

"Don't try to please." the ninja said, frowning. "Remember, you have to keep the information to yourself."

"... sigh ..."

o.0.o

It was the first day at the academy and, despite herself, Haku was very excited about it. Granted, she probably had the knowledge (if not the chakra capacity and missions) to make Jonin, but the true learning of Konoha ninja started here. She had never been to school.

She almost started giggling at the thought: _School!_

Training under Zabuza-sama, then Jiraiya-sensei, followed by so many Jonin and Chunin... even ANBU was amazing. Her already impressive knowledge had increased tenfold as she took more from each lesson than the average student would have. But friends and teams and understanding had to start somewhere. Even Zabuza-sama had gone to his own Academy back in Kiri.

Now, it was Haku's turn.

o.0.o

A ball of orange energy crashed just in front of her and Shikamaru, who was watching his parents walk away with a slight look of annoyance.

"Hello Naruto-kun." Haku said, smiling at the blond boy as he laughed and picked himself up.

"Hello, Haku-chan!" Naruto shouted excitedly. "It's great to see you here!"

"Hm. Troublesome." Shikamaru muttered when Naruto jumped and slapped him on the back in greeting.

"Hey guys!" Choji called, walking up to them. "I brought potato-chips, who wants some?"

"Hello, Haku-chan!" Kiba shouted sauntering up to them, Akamaru perched on his head barking its own greating. "Where's Wiglaf?"

Haku smiled. "He'll join us later." she said. "Kiba, meet my brother Shikamaru, and my friends, Choji-kun and Naruto-kun."

Kiba and Naruto were an instant hit, both huddled together to talk about possible pranks to pull on the teachers as well as boast of their previous achievements. Haku kept an ear on their conversation, eager to join in a couple of the less obvious ones.

Soon, Kurenai walked up to them, holding the hand of a young girl with very pale irises.

"Hello, Haku-chan, Naruto-kun."

Naruto looked up at her and smiled widely. "Ah, Kurenai-chan! It's great to see you! Haven't seen you around since that incident with Anko-chan and the poisoned dango-sticks!"

Haku looked from Naruto to Kurenai, who shrugged. "You were right."

The smile that came to Haku's face was bright enough to almost blind the chunin, who pushed the girl she was with a bit forward. "Everyone, this is Hyuga Hinata."

Some of the other children, noticing the ever increasing group, had approached. A blond girl and a pink-haired girl Haku recognized as the one in the bridge, came up to them. They quickly introduced themselves to Haku and Hinata as Ino and Sakura, but stayed shy around the boys, albeit less shy than Hinata who would mumble and stutter if Naruto asked her a question or her opinion.

Several parents made their way to them with their children, only to notice Naruto and start making remarks about him

Haku was thankful that Naruto was having too good a time to hear them. Sakura and Ino did hear them and looked questioningly at Haku and the others.

Haku shook her head and the two girls stayed for the moment, but she could tell that they were heavily influenced by the opinionated adults and what was being said.

It was then that Uchiha Sasuke walked in followed by Itachi and Fugaku Uchiha. The talking stopped after the adults all hushed down in admiration.

Itachi quickly spotted Haku and maneuvered his father and younger brother to meet with the group.

"Sasuke, otousan, this is Nara Haku, whom I trained for a little while." Itachi said.

Haku smiled and extended her hand to Sasuke, who was about to shake it, when his father interrupted.

"Don't get involved with them, son." Fugaku said. "Haku has proven that she is not worthy of being an ally of the Uchiha when she attacked your cousin, Tomoyuki unprovoked."

Sasuke's eyes opened wide, while Itachi simply looked at his father.

The youngest Uchiha then walked away from them, followed by Ino and Sakura who seemed to be enthralled by him.

Itachi stood with Haku and the others for a moment, then, after a slight nod in their direction, followed after his father.

o.0.o

It had been a few weeks of school already and Haku was enjoying every second of it. Except for the less than ideal teaching that was being given to Naruto by certain teachers. They had even given wrong information to the class when Naruto had asked the question, and had only grudgingly admitted that they were wrong when Haku herself had stepped in and answered correctly.

It seemed that Shikamaru had caught on, as well as Hinata and Sasuke. Whenever Naruto asked a question and the teacher answered it, they would look at her for confirmation. Sasuke would only glance at her, but it was clear that he found it strange.

Sometimes Haku would rephrase the question to get the correct answer, to the groans of some students, including Ino and Sakura, who seemed to believe the teachers implicitly.

Haku found that the only teacher who didn't really care who made the questions and answered truthfully enough was a man called Iruka.

This earned her respect, and she decided to speak to him about the other teachers at some point.

That day, however, she had to go to her bi-monthly lesson with Dr. Yakushi. The man had seemed cold-hearted at the beginning, but the more she got to know him, the more she respected him. Dr. Yakushi took pride in being a doctor. He was in fact, one of the few that would not malign Naruto openly in the hospital.

He took it seriously, that was why his demeanor was like that. The lessons were long and heavy with theory and possible uses of several ninja skills adapted to medicine. He had been suitably impressed with her theory on the relationship between chakra and muscle reactions which had been the second project she had been assigned to do for him, and now was going over it, explaining where the concepts she had met the real workings of the human body.

It had been a few interesting hours, and now Haku was making her way back to the Nara compound.

"Well done, Itachi. We are all proud of you, and Konoha owes you a great debt." a voice said.

Curious, she followed the voice. She hid her presence as well as she could and peeked around the corner of the alley.

Itachi was there, standing in front of a strange man that had half his face covered in bandages.

"Sasuke is still alive." Itachi said, in a voice so cold Haku almost thought it was someone else entirely.

"What?!" the man shouted. "But then you failed! You..."

"Shut up, Danzo." Itachi growled. "Sasuke lives, and you will not touch him. You will stick to the plan and blame the whole thing on me, but Sasuke must not know, and you will not, EVER lay a hand on him, or I will tell the truth to everyone."

The man, Danzo clenched his hands into fists. Then suddenly looked into Haku's direction.

Cursing her luck, Haku quickly used a technique she had seen the Demon Brothers perform, and hid in a nearby puddle of water.

Danzo was there almost immediately. "Whoever it was, they must still be around."

Itachi nodded. "Go back. I will deal with them." he looked at Danzo. "But remember what I said."

Danzo nodded and jumped off, disappearing from the area.

Itachi waited for a couple of seconds then looked at the puddle. "Come out Haku-chan."

Haku emerged from the puddle. "Aniki... what was that about?"

Itachi shook his head. "None of your business, Haku-chan." His eyes started spinning and Haku felt herself drawn into them.

o.0.o

It was still dark when she heard the knock on her door.

Yoshino looked inside. "Haku-chan... there's an ANBU here to see you."

Haku stretched and yawned. Looking around, briefly wondering how she had gotten here from Dr. Yakushi's office.

Groggily she stood up and walked to where a silver-haired ANBU was standing, talking to her adoptive parents.

She knew it was Kakashi, but he had said that ANBU were supposed to be referred to by their masked appearance rather than by name.

"Dog-san," Haku said, bowing slightly. "How can I help you?"

"Haku-san." Kakashi nodded. "Have you seen Itachi today at all?"

Haku thought about it, she wanted to say yes for some reason, but she couldn't recall seeing him at all. She shook her head. "No, why? Is he okay?"

Kakashi looked at her from behind the mask. "You'll find out soon enough I guess." he said tiredly. "According to Sasuke Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha murdered everyone in the Uchiha compound. He's no-where to be found either. I am afraid he has become a nuke-nin."

Haku's eyes widened.

**Next Chapter:**

"_My brother acknowledged you and your strength fight me!"_

"_Why do you want to fight!"_

"_I must be stronger!"_

AN:

I apologize if the time-skips were a bit too much, I think they work well enough to convey the important bits though. We have established Haku's advantages at being sent back in time with her knowledge intact and the influence of the Konoha ninja on her, as well as family and friends. We've found her summons and a bit of her clan history, she is being trained as I would think they would have trained a genius prospective ninja, especially one with her talents, kekkei genkai, family tree, etc. She is taking every advantage she can, but it is about time everyone else started to make an impact in this story.

Wiglaf is the name of Beowulf's most loyal retainer. I don't know if he appears in the movie, but just read the poem, it's better anyway.

**The Poll**

It's going good! Keep the votes coming!

**On to the Reviews!**

**Awkio: **Hopefully this gives you an idea of how I'll treat them. I won't do a Sasuke-bashing fic (ok, not too much) since I think the character has more interesting possibilities here than being a simple angry youth. Hinata will be more involved in the next chapter.

**redrobin:** Guan has his own reasons :) you will find out later in the story, but they are good ones. I like Itachi too, much more than Sasuke, to be honest. He will be a regular, never fear.

**griffin blackwood:** School/College/Uni first :) that's the motto. I'm glad I can provide a break for you, hopefully this chapter lived up to the other ones you liked!

**Youknowwhatman:** Well, there's no wolf right now that can teach her, it might take her a while...

**RyumaOmega:** Thanks! I'm glad you are enjoying the story so far! If you know others that like fem Haku, let them know! :D Hope to see more comments from you soon!

o.0.o

Remember everyone, Reviews Brain Food! They do help make me want to write more, so don't be shy to just drop a small "hi" or even a "dude, Naruto needs to appear more!" I want to know your opinions! Thanks for reading, and see you soon!


	10. Chapter 10: Academy

Myst and Leaves

by Wanderer D

**Chapter 10**

It had taken Sasuke a week to go back to school. The boy was understandably subdued, but there was a certain glint to his eyes that Haku did not like at all.

Looking back on it, she had seen glimpses of that look still in his eyes when he had fought her, roughly four years in the future. She hated thinking of the future in the past tense.

She sighed and looked down from Iruka's class to look at the small scroll she had been given that morning. The toad had not said anything to her other than the words _"Mist and Leaves."_ after letting it fall into her hands.

Shikamaru had given the toad and her odd looks, but had simply shrugged and carried on his way.

She had resisted opening it, but now... if Jiraiya sensei was sending this to her with the code-words he had told her for when Zabuza-sama escaped... she sighed. How had Zabuza-sama turned out without her being there?

"Haku!" Iruka shouted, throwing a practice kunai at her. Haku looked up, wide eyed, and almost without blinking caught it by inserting her finger in the small loop at the back of the handle.

"Sorry, sensei." she said. "I got distracted."

Iruka sighed and motioned for her to toss the kunai back. He hadn't thrown it too hard, but it had gotten the attention of the students. He looked at Ino and Sakura out of the corner of his eyes. The two seemed oblivious to the fact that Haku's skill was beyond theirs.

"Please pay attention to class, Haku, this will be on the test."

Haku blinked. "Hai, sensei."

Behind her, Naruto was snickering. Haku saw Iruka twitch and made no attempt to shut up Naruto. Instead she concentrated on Sasuke, who was glaring at her. She returned the look, hers questioning. But before she had time to think much about it, another practice kunai flew over her head.

"OW!"

Both Sasuke and Haku snapped to attention, not wanting to share Naruto's punishment.

o.0.o

The break came just in time. If she had had to keep the scroll closed for ten more minutes she felt she would have exploded.

The gang had gathered around a tree in the yard, Haku had quickly jumped up the tree onto a branch and was now eagerly opening the scroll. Bellow her, Naruto, Kiba and Akamaru had decided to run off to attempt one of their pranks, leaving Choji, Hinata and Shikamaru sitting below her and eating quietly.

The contents were not what she expected. Jiraiya had found Zabuza-sama's information network with the help Haku had given him and had left several messages for the nuke-nin to get in contact with him or to send a message through them to the Mist and the Leaves about possible future jobs. So far, Zabuza had not contacted any of them, and it made Haku wonder how her presence had affected the first few days since they had escaped from Kiri.

She realized then how naïve she had been. She had trusted things to work out exactly the same, but without her, Zabuza-sama was bound to make different choices than the ones she remembered. Haku cursed her lack of foresight on something so obvious.

"Hey!"

Haku took a moment to realize that the shout was directed at her, and it was only the stone that cracked against the trunk right next to her that made her look down.

Sasuke, followed by a few fan-girls was glaring at her. "Come down here, Nara. I need to fight you."

Haku's eyebrow arched slightly. "Why would you want that, Uchiha-san?"

"Get down here and fight Sasuke-sama!" Sakura yelled suddenly.

Ino, not to be left behind also stepped forward. "Are you afraid, Haku?"

By now this had caused the attention of several other students to shift their way. Slowly students of all ages gathered up cheering for a fight.

Haku rolled her eyes. "Come on, Uchiha-san, there is no point in doing this." she said as she jumped down from the branch. "What do you hope to accomplish with this childish attitude?"

Sasuke's frown deepened. "HE respected you. By defeating you I will prove that I am better and on my way to defeating that bastard."

Haku's expression darkened. "You don't have a clue about him, and there's no way you'll ever be able to defeat Aniki."

Sasuke's eyes grew when she called his older brother aniki. With a snarl, Sasuke threw himself at Haku, trying to kick her.

"Go Sasuke-sama!" Ino, Sakura and a score of girls chorused at the same time. Most of the older students watched in amusement, except for another Hyuga. He watched the fight with interest.

Haku didn't even move from where she stood. She held the scroll in her left hand tightly, while her right arm shot out, pushing Sasuke's leg out of the way. The young Uchiha growled and tried to punch her. The kunoichi simply leaned back, letting the punch miss, then slammed Sasuke just under the shoulder with the palm of her free hand.

Sasuke leaned back, his muscles seemed to feel too cold. It hurt to move them, almost as if he had pulled a tendon or something.

Not willing to give up yet, he ignored the pain in the leg he had attempted the first kick with and used it to pivot and try to use his knee to hit Haku either on the stomach or on the side of the hip. It didn't matter much since his fist was following the feint

To his surprise, Haku's speed was enough to tap down his knee and twist to avoid the fist, which again wheezed past her harmlessly.

Haku then stepped forward, driving her open palm onto Sasuke's stomach, throwing him down. Sasuke stayed down, trembling. It didn't make sense to him, to be so cold. But all his body felt numb, as if he had been lying down in the snow.

The gang of fan-girls was about to run towards him when Haku stepped up and offered him her hand.

"Let's not dwell on this, Uchiha-san." she said. "Remember that to be truly strong you have to have someone precious to you. That is the way to true strength."

Sasuke snorted, but didn't push away the offered hand. He allowed Haku to help him up. "I will become strong. Stronger than you and _him_." He said, giving her a considering look.

"Okay!" Iruka suddenly shouted. "That's enough, everyone, go back to class, break is over. Haku, a word with you."

o.0.o

"Shouldn't we go straight to class, sensei?" Haku asked as Iruka led her towards the office.

Iruka shook his head. "Mizuki-sensei is taking care of the class."

"Oh, him." Haku sighed.

Iruka raised an eyebrow. "You don't like Mizuki?"

Haku shook her head. "It's not him, exactly, sensei." she sighed. "It's the way he and the others treat Naruto. They have even outright lied when answering a question."

Iruka tensed a bit. "Naruto is a special case..." Iruka started...

"It's not Naruto." Haku said. "It's... _that_."

Iruka looked at the girl in horror. "Who told you?"

"I figured it out." Haku interrupted. "Iruka-sensei, I have the utmost respect for you, since you answer everyone's questions the same, but you have to see the difference between Naruto and-"

She stopped. Iruka had raised his hand, signaling her to calm down. "I know. I know they are not the same, Haku-chan." he looked at her in the eye. "But you must understand that there is a long way from acknowledging something to acting on it." he sighed. "I am trying Haku, and my first steps are being fair to Naruto as a student, but he is a hard case, regardless." he smirked.

Haku, subdued, nodded. "Sorry sensei... I thought..."

"It's okay, you were worried about your friend. Not everyone sees things the same, but I cannot force all the other teachers to act right. I can only talk to them and do my best to cover for their... weakness. The rest is up to Naruto."

When they walked into the office, Iruka motioned for her to sit down. "But we got distracted from the reason that I wanted to talk to you."

Haku shifted uncomfortably. "About the fight... I'm sure Sasuke-kun is understandably upset about what happened with his brother..."

Iruka shook his head. "That's not it at all, Haku, although it is related. Your skills are beyond the eldest of our academy students." He took out a folder. "It is not surprising seeing just who has been training you. The copy-ninja Kakashi. Uchiha Itachi. Yuhi Kurenai. Maito Gai. Morino Ibiki... should I carry on?"

Haku sighed. "I talked about this to the Hokage..."

"And so did I." Iruka said. "I know that to you it is very important to hang around with children your age, but if you stay here you will be wasting time, Haku. You have to be realistic."

Haku nodded. Maybe she had been deluding herself.

"But since you want to be here, I have another option for you..." Iruka pulled out a folder and opened it, turning it around so that Haku could read as he explained.

"Dog-san, of the ANBU has recommended that you join them. He will be your immediate superior. When you are not in missions, you will be allowed to attend certain classes, as a guest instructor. It'll be good for morale."

"But..."

"I believe, that this will inspire not only Sasuke-kun to try harder, but also Naruto-kun, Kiba-kun and your brother, Shikamaru, to work harder. A strong example is just what they need."

Haku smirked. "Clearly you don't know Shikamaru very well yet." she took a deep breath as she read the papers.

"I have also made sure that when the current generation of academy students graduates, you will get the chance to either get your own team, if you have achieved Jonin status besides your ANBU, or to have the choice of joining a team."

Haku looked from the papers to the scroll in her hand and thought back to her earlier musings about Zabuza-sama.

"I only want one more thing to be added..." she said.

o.0.o

The class was stunned into silence.

Sakura leaned slightly to whisper to Ino. "She can't be that good, can she?"

Ino just shook her head, keeping quiet. Her eyes drifted towards Sasuke, who looked livid.

"Why?!" he shouted, standing up and glaring at their instructor.

Iruka made soothing motions with his hands. "Haku has proved that she has enough knowledge to graduate now from the Academy, an excellent opportunity has presented itself to her, and she has decided to take it.

Even Shikamaru was surprised. His eyes sought his sister's, and Haku nodded at him. It took a second, but Naruto and Kiba shot up on their seats.

"Way to go Haku-chan!" Naruto shouted. "Just wait and see, I'll catch up with you, Aneki!"

"That's awesome!" Kiba's shout followed, echoed by Akamaru's barks. "Wait and see, Aneki! I'll be your biggest challenger!"

Sasuke slammed his hand down on the desk. "No way! I want to challenge her! You just wait! I'll graduate early too and kick your ass!"

Sakura shot up out of her seat. "What the hell! No way that hussy is good enough to be a challenge for Sasuke-sama!"

Haku's eye twitched. _Hussy?_

"Like you would be up to Sasuke-sama's level?!" Ino laughed. "I'll prove to both you and the hussy that I am the best!"

Haku glared at Iruka, who had a large sweat-drop right next to his face. "Good for morale, you said."

Iruka cleared his throat. Then, when it failed to bring everyone's attention back to him, he shouted. "SIT DOWN AND KEEP QUIET!"

Slowly, everyone sat down again, glaring at each other.

"Now, Haku IS graduating today. And she has agreed to do the test in front of everyone so that you can see how it works."

Haku sighed as she looked at the class. In a way she was sad because she had to leave, although she would still keep in contact with the gang. But more pressing matters were piling up and she had to deal with them. The fact that Jiraiya had told the toad the password meant that she was just about to become his contact in Konoha for the information network.

o.0.o

The class had followed Haku and Iruka outside where they were standing several feet away from the practice area where they would practice ranged attacks. Another class was using the field, and after a few moments where Iruka spoke to the other teacher, the students were called to the side, also to watch.

"Okay, Haku." Iruka said, pointing at a far off target in the shape of a person. Haku took a quick look at it, then turned to her sensei. "I want you to hit that target from here."

That drew a few comments from the other students, most of them betting that she wouldn't be able to make it.

"Lethal or non-lethal strikes?" Haku asked instantly. Itachi had also trained her like this, but with alternating orders as to the deadliness of her attacks.

Iruka blinked. "Uh. Lethal."

Haku nodded, and without turning around snapped her arm up. THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!

The students turned to stare at the three kunai, all embedded on the "head" of the wooden target.

Sasuke, although impressed just gritted his teeth. He turned to glare at Haku, only to find the girl looking back at him. She nodded slightly. The Uchiha sighed and calmed down a bit, looking just slightly annoyed.

Iruka cleared his throat. "The next test, hand to hand fighting..."

Sasuke immediately stepped forward, but another boy from the other class had followed suit.

"Neji-niisan..." Hinata gasped. The boy certainly looked eager to fight Haku. Hinata turned her worried eyes to Haku.

Iruka nodded. "Hyuga Neji, are you sure you want to fight Haku."

Neji smirked arrogantly and nodded. "I am, sensei."

"Let's let him do it." Mizuki said. "If she is ready to graduate, she would be skipping over not only Sasuke, but also Neji, who has been the top of the class since he started."

Iruka nodded. "Okay, let's move towards the rink."

As both classes started walking, Haku was approached by two people.

"Ano, Haku-aneki..." Hinata stammered. She was still unused to calling anyone in such a manner and it had taken the combined efforts of Naruto and Kiba to get her to call her aneki in the first place.

"What is it, Hinata-chan?"

"Be... be careful when you fight Neji-niisan." The Hyuga girl said. "He can already use the Byakugan."

"She's right!" a voice said. Both girls turned to see a boy around their age with huge black eyebrows. "Neji is very skillful. I have been training to beat him, but I haven't been able to defeat him yet." he leaned forward. "Watch his footwork, when he is about to do open-palm attacks he always twists his front leg slightly backward to follow a circular motion."

Haku blinked. "Thank you..."

The boy smiled. "You can call me Lee! And if you beat him today, I pledge I'll work even harder to be able to beat you!"

Haku smiled and nodded.

"Hey!" someone called from the side and Naruto stepped up. "If she beats this Neji-teme you will acknowledge it by calling her Aneki and become her underling!"

Lee blinked as Choji, Hinata, Kiba and Akamaru nodded at him with fire in their eyes. He looked at Shikamaru, who was walking with them.

Haku's brother just rolled his eyes and shrugged.

Lee looked at Haku for a longer moment and then smiled. "Okay! I'll do it!"

Haku sighed. At this rate it would really start looking like the Yakuza.

o.0.o

"Haku!" Iruka called. "Step forward!"

Neji was already waiting for her. "I saw you fight earlier." he said. "But fate has put you against a superior opponent this time. You will fail."

"We'll see." Haku said, taking a moment to analyze her opponent. If what Hinata said was true and he could use the Byakugan, then she was in trouble. She had to be more careful, and if he had studied her attacks earlier, then he might be able to get to her. She wasn't up to the speed, strength and chakra capacity that she would have liked.

"Begin!" Mizuki shouted.

Haku's family martial art was in many ways similar to the Gentle Fist that the Hyuga had developed. She could do a lot of damage with a small tap of the hand, although it was limited to physical damage only, unlike the Gentle Fist, which attacked the chakra coils themselves, and through them also dealt physical damage.

The fight began thus with both combatants circling around one another before stepping in to attack. Neji's right fist flew straight at Haku, who dodged by crouching down, her left hand rising to parry Neji's hand just under the wrist. Not wanting to give him knowledge of her abilities, she didn't use any cold in her defense.

The punch proved to be a distraction, however as Neji followed the motion by leaning forward, his fingers almost hitting Haku in the thigh. She was saved by her quick reactions as her right hand flew down and out effectively parrying the attack. Both jumped back, each carefully considering their opponent.

It was Haku this time that started the attack, leading with a left fist that was parried by Neji's right one. However, instead of trying another attack, as the Hyuga expected, Haku used that same hand to push Neji's arm inside towards his torso, as she sidestepped to the side, using his arm as a guide to try and smash her elbow on his back.

Neji, caught by surprise stumbled when it hit him between the shoulder blades. It hadn't been soft, but he knew that she could have just as well aimed at the back of his neck and killed him instantly. As the two separated again, Haku managing to graze Neji's right let with a fast kick before he distanced himself enough. Neji activated his Byakugan.

Iruka shouted a warning, but both combatants had already thrown themselves at each other again. Neji's strike was too fast, and all Haku could do was block it and push hers in. Neji watched as the punches connected. Neji's on Haku's forearm, Haku's on Neji's left shoulder.

At that moment, both instructors jumped in and dragged them appart.

Neji was smirking as Haku nursed her arm. He had been benevolent, after all, he had simply cut the chakra for a few minutes. That would teach... he stumbled.

He couldn't feel his left arm. In fact, he had lost sensitivity from the area where Haku had punched him down to the fingertips. And then his leg also felt numb. He fell to his knee, looking down at his leg in surprise. He thought back, quickly, the only time Haku had touched it was when she had kicked him. It had been less than a scratch, and yet, his leg was failing him now.

"Neji." Mizuki called. "Can you get up?"

The Hyuga tried, but his leg buckled and he landed on the floor again, gritting his teeth. "No."

On the sidelines, Lee, Naruto and Kiba jumped in joy, while Hinata almost fell down with relief. She had never thought it possible for someone her age to beat Neji-niisan. He was so focused in his training, so gifted, that she had thought she would never be able to even come close. And now... now that Aneki had managed it, maybe, just maybe so could she.

Iruka again had to shout for the others to shut up. "Since the third and last part of the test can be done anywhere, let's just do it here." he looked at the girl as Hinata tended to her arm. "Haku, can you use your arm now?" when the girl tried an experimental shake and nodded, he said, "Haku, I need you to Henge into me, and then simply create three clones."

Haku blinked. "That's it? No mortal combat? No killing anyone? No deadly jutsu test?

Iruka shook his head, a bit bewildered. "Eh... no. Who would ask that of their students?"

Haku laughed weakly. "Hehe... yeah. Who would, eh?"

Still getting weird looks from students and teachers alike, Haku took a deep breath. "Henge!"

**Next Chapter:**

"_Good luck on your first mission, Aneki!"_

"_This is for you!"_

"_Ano, Aneki, I want you to train me!"_

"_Hmph. Don't get to comfortable as best of the Academy."_

"_This is my mask?!"_

"_Are you ready to go?"_

**AN:** Again Haku's seemingly easier life gets another turn! And now, she will join the ANBU! Mwahahaha. Her first mission might bring her closer to some infamous characters in the Narutoverse. I think my fight scenes need more work... :(

**Reviews:**

**Alucard180:** That will wait a bit, but trust me, it will come up.

**redrobin: **Yep, but then again, until Itachi reveals it, no-one really knows. :) Danzo is a crafty one, but he has yet to make his real impression in the story. As for Kabuto... well, he will definetly be a bit different

**RyumaOmega:** Well, as you can see, Sasuke won't get out of it that easy, but his fight with Haku did change his perspective a bit. He won't simply drop his quest for revenge (let's face it, who would) but this is just the start of their relationship... will it be friendly? Who knows!

**Marz1:** Thanks! I'm glad you are enjoying it! The Uchiha massacre was pretty famous, but I am willing to bet that not everyone was aware that only Sasuke survived, or that Itachi was responsible for it. :D

**youknowwhatman:** Yes, she is powerful, but she's still a kid!

**Poll:**

Between this and the next chapter is the last chance! Vote! (for those that did, don't worry I have counted them all.)

o.0.o

Remember everyone, Reviews equal Brain Food! They do help make me want to write more, so don't be shy to just drop a small "hi" or even a "dude, Naruto needs to appear more!" I want to know your opinions! Thanks for reading, and see you soon!


	11. Chapter 11: ANBU

Myst and Leaves

by Wanderer D

**Chapter 11**

It was raining. Hard.

The drops of water obscured the vision of the ninja on the ground, but that did not mean that they were incapacitated. Vision was one of many senses, after all.

In what seemed a life-time ago, she had seen Zabuza-sama's mist fail to provide a real distraction against Kakashi-san.

More than the rain, it was perhaps her current size that helped her the most. She could crouch and hide without the need of chakra-spending techniques to warn ninja sensitive enough of her presence.

There were four ninjas, protecting a wealthy man from Iwa. A retired shinobi that had made several enemies during his long life.

Haku considered her next move carefully. She was familiar with the retired shinobi. His name was Banto. He had been ruthless when he had been capable of walking, but several assassination attempts had eventually destroyed the use of his legs. The man however, was still perfectly capable of casting Jutsus.

Kakashi had told her that this was her first "solo" mission.

Although the two had worked well as assassins for Konoha the last whole year, she had to prove herself to achieve the special privileges that ANBU Squad Members had.

But it was not time to think about that yet. She had something to prove, but not only to them. She had felt weak when she came to Konoha. And now she was part of ANBU. She had been with Kakashi so far, but he would not be with her much longer. She had seen it in his eyes, and she remembered that he was the one to teach Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura how to be ninja.

She had one year before they graduated.

o.0.o

Reiko Hayamura tensed. She had sensed something. For a moment, her eyes shifted back to Banto's tent. It seemed to have come from there. Koushiro was inside, talking with the old ninja about their route for tomorrow.

She didn't particularly like the old ninja, but you had to have some measure of respect for someone that had lived so long doing such a dangerous job, and furthermore pissed-off a lot of people in the process. It was said that Banto had even survived an attack from Konoha back when the Fourth still lived. The man had a knack for surviving, but it was also because he hired some of the best ninja around.

She shifted and did another round. They were near the border of the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.

Banto was to meet with some Suna-nin when they crossed the border. What happened from there was none of her business. But until then...

"Hey, Reiko." Hokuro called. He was the biggest of the group, strong as an Ox. "We've already done a perimeter check, calm down, there is no-one for miles."

The distant howling of a wolf made her shudder and something kept nagging at her. Her eyes were constantly drawn back to the tent.

Natsumo, shorter than her, dark haired, fast as lightning and deadly with the chigiriki he carried constantly with him looked at her, sensing her unease. "What is it?" he asked, slowly taking out his weapon.

Hokuro, seeing that turned serious and hefted the dual war picks he used to fight.

Her stomach felt cold as she turned slowly towards the tent. Everything was quiet, except for the wind and the distant howling of wolves.

"Don't you think..." she slowly pulled a kunai and started walking towards the tent. "That Koushiro should be out by now?"

By the time she finished talking she had jumped inside the tent, throwing the curtains to the side. In front of her Koushiro sat, facing a very pale Banto. But neither of them spoke.

They didn't even react to her presence.

"Koushiro..." she touched his shoulder... and watched in horror as he slumped forward, head crashing on the small table between him and Banto. Three senbon needles were lodged on the side of his neck.

She immediately looked up at Banto and noticed that he had tried to move, his hands were in the middle of a jutsu. She carefully made her way to him and touched him for a moment. She quickly removed her hand in surprise.

He was cold. Really cold. Much more cold than he should have been even if he had been dead for an hour. She walked around and found a kunai sticking out of the back of his head with a small note attached to it.

Whipping around she shouted, "Hokuro! Natsumo! Someone's killed Koushiro and Banto!"

A shout made her run out, kunai in hand, mind racing through jutsus. Hokuro and Natsumo had apparently found the assassin. It was just a kid with a wolf mask. She thought she recognized the symbol on the mask's forehead, but she couldn't figure out why. It then dawned on her that it was a mixture of the Konoha and Mist symbols. A Nuke-nin, maybe?

She didn't have much time to think though as she joined the fray. Child or not, he or she had killed one of her own and the man that they were supposed to protect.

She ran towards the assassin, but a white form slammed on her side, knocking the air out of her. She tried to turn, but whoever was on top of her was heavy. She felt razor sharp fangs scratch her throat as the white wolf that had knocked her down growled. She remained still. Her eyes sought out her friends, but Hokuro was down, senbon needles sticking out through his body. Beyond his fallen form, she watched as Natsumo created a deadly dance of steel and spikes with his chigiriki, which the unnamed ninja barely avoided.

The chain managed to tie around the assassin's left arm and Natsumo laughed. "I've got you now! You will pay for what you did to Hokuro and Koushiro!" he tightened his grip, pulling the kid a bit closer. "What is your name, brat? I'll make sure to write it down on your tombstone."

"I am known as the Mist in the Leaves." the boy answered and his right hand started flashing through hand signs. "And it is I who has you!"

The chain snapped when the boy twisted his wrist. Reiko watched aghast as the boy moved in to trade punches with Natsumo. Her partner might be short but he was stronger than he appeared. The boy's hand shot past Natsumo's guard several times, but seemed to do little damage.

The boy jumped back and to Reiko's surprise her partner groaned and crashed to the ground, groaning in pain and breathing heavily. She stared in horror. Was it a Hyuga? No... the fighting style was different. What had happened there?

She couldn't see what happened but Natsumo suddenly stopped groaning.

She heard the boy approaching and options flashed through her mind again, but a slight pressure around her neck steadied her hand. She had to fight back tears of frustration at her situation.

Her hands and legs were expertly tied and her equipment removed before she was turned around to face the Mist in the Leaves.

She stared at the boy in hatred. "You'd better kill me now, Mist, or I will hunt you down for killing my Nakama."

The boy stood next to the white wolf, staring back at her. "Reiko?" he asked suddenly. The familiarity with which he said her name shocked her.

"Do I know you?" she asked.

The boy seemed to want to say something then shook his head. "No... I've heard of you. Reiko Hayamura-san."

"I don't care if we are friends when you take off that mask!" Reiko growled. "You'd better pray I never find out your true identity!"

The boy laughed, which irritated her even more. How could she, a special Jonin have fallen so quickly? This boy had thrown caught them completely off-guard. Now that she was facing him, she would be able to do something.

"I am sorry, Reiko-san." The boy said, turning around, followed by his wolf. "But I have no desire to face your bloodline skills. Your friends will wake up in a few hours."

And with that, he was gone.

o.0.o

Haku met with Kakashi shortly after. "Banto is dead."

Kakashi nodded, face hidden behind his dog mask. "And yet, the Iwa nins live. What happened there, wolf?"

Haku shrugged. "I don't like killing. I watched them, understood how they moved and thought and took them out only because it became necessary."

Kakashi nodded and motioned for her to follow him. "It was a good job, Wolf. I'm proud to have been your partner this last year and see you achieve full marks on the ANBU test."

Haku nodded. She had also passed her own test. She had allowed Reiko's team to see her to test her skills in her Clan techniques. It had been risky, but she had managed to use surprise in taking out the two most dangerous members of her team. Reiko and Koushiro.

She had met them, when traveling with Zabuza-sama, so many years ago. They had been formidable as a team, but Zabuza had confided to Haku their biggest weakness... Koushiro was the tactician, and Reiko was the executioner... and they were in love with each other.

Taking out Koushiro inside the tent had taken the brains out of their team, and while Reiko was extremely strong, she would be distracted by her lover's perceived death.

She was glad she had not needed to kill any of them. Reiko had treated her like a little sister when they had worked together and even taught her a few things, including the capabilities of her own Bloodline.

She liked them. A silly thing for a ninja to do.

o.0.o

Life goes on, Naruto thought to himself as he scrubbed the classroom floor. It was just his luck that Kiba had fallen ill and had been unable to come to class today and share the cleaning-up chores, the result of his last prank.

Despite this Naruto chuckled to himself as he looked at the few areas of the room not covered in different shades of paint. On the wall he could clearly see the spot where Iruka sensei had been standing, ready to start class when the whole world exploded in paint.

Most of the front row of students were bathed in paint, second row was splattered, but not covered, and further back, where he, Kiba, Sasuke-teme, Hinata, Shino, Choji and Shikamaru sat was completely clean.

Iruka had screamed at him for hours this time, although they had suffered minor splattering, Sakura and Ino had kicked the living day-lights out of him until Sasuke-teme said that it was enough. Not that he owed anything to the Uchiha bastard. He suffered him to be with his friends, that should be enough payback for Sasuke.

"Iruka said you'd be here, kiddo."

Naruto looked at the door. "Ah! Anko-san!" he smiled brightly. "What brings you here?"

"Iruka." Anko said. "He says your jokes are getting to be a bit much, Naruto."

"Hmph. He's just being an ass."

The elder kunoichi punched him in the head.

"Ow! What was that for?" Naruto glared at her.

"Baka." Anko shook her head and looked around. "The fake desk bomb eh?"

Naruto nodded.

"I guess Iruka was lucky me and Kurenai forbid you from your other plan."

Naruto growled and started scrubbing again. "I don't care what that idiot teacher thinks of me. He keeps failing me!"

Anko shook her head again and leaned against the door frame. Looking out towards the empty halls of the Academy. "He's done a good job teaching everyone else, and I know he doesn't hate you. In fact he worries about you."

Naruto kept scrubbing.

"We can't teach any of you guys until you graduate, and to graduate you have to make an effort!"

She watched Naruto scrub for a while.

"Iruka wants to help you Naruto."

"I know." the boy answered, finishing the last part.

Anko sighed. "Keep working hard Naruto." she watched him as he morosely nodded. "Oh, and Haku is back."

o.0.o

"... one would think that being in constant battles of the life-and-death variety would have given me more brains for tactics by now..." Haku groaned as Shikamaru destroyed her game strategy. "Maybe I should quit playing go..."

"Don't be silly." Yoshino said, setting down a plate of steaming dumplings next to her children. "Go is an excellent way to train your mind to understand patterns of strategy..."

Haku's hand went straight for a dumpling.

"How was the mission this time?" Shikamaru asked.

Haku smiled a bit at her brother. "Success." she said. "I passed my solo test."

Shikaku looked up from the reports he was reading and looked at her, a mixture of pride and sadness running quickly through his face before it went into disinterested mode again. "Congratulations, Haku."

Screams from outside the house made everyone turn to the door. It burst open and Naruto and Choji fell through the door. Behind them, Hinata, Sasuke and Shino looked down at the pair with amused embarrassment.

o.0.o

"How did she perform, Kakashi?" Sarutobi asked, watching the gang surround the girl in question. Hugs and pats on the back ensued, and the old Hokage let the image fade with a smile.

"She performed her assassination flawlessly, Hokage-sama." Kakashi said. "There is something that bothers me though..."

Sarutobi's smile faded and he nodded at Kakashi to proceed. "Tell me."

"Although Haku had killed her target, it is my belief that she let herself be noticed. I think she wanted to test her strength... if that becomes a habit she will end up dead."

Sarutobi nodded. "There is something else, isn't there."

"She seemed to understand her enemies beyond what her observation time could have allowed. She caught them completely off-guard. I know that two of the Iwa-nin were none other than Reiko Hayamura and Koushiro Ibiki."

Sarutobi nodded, taking out a bingo book and flipping through the pages. Finding the corresponding bios, he read them. "How do you think this is possible, Kakashi?"

The white-haired ninja shook his head. "I don't know. She exchanged words with Reiko at the end of the battle, but I could not make out what they said.... other than Reiko screaming that she would kill Haku if she ever found out who she was. Hayamura seemed to be under the impression that Haku was a boy."

"Well, she has been a Konoha-nin for a while now, and we have never had cause to doubt her loyalty. I will ask her about her fight when she comes to pick up her next assignment in a few days."

Kakashi nodded. "Then I will take my leave."

o.0.o

Suna-

"So you said that this Mist in the Leaves was responsible for Banto's assassination." The Kazekage looked at the four Iwa-nin from behind his desk. Haku's calling card, sporting the symbol etched on the forehead of this mask, was on his desk.

"Yes, Kazekage-sama." Koushiro said, bowing low. "As it is, we will return the advance payment we were given, since we have failed our mission."

The Kazekage didn't say anything for a moment, and the four ninja didn't dare take a breath.

"There is no need." the Kazekage said, startling them, he twirled the card between his fingers. "I had offered Banto the protection of Sunagakure if he reached it. He is the one that payed the advance, not me. And you have brought me news of this... assassin."

He looked at them. "Although I am surprised you all survived."

Reiko shook her head. "I am not sure it was his intention to kill us at all. He could have done it."

The Kazekage looked at her so intently she had to look away. "Tell me, what do you think of this Mist in the Leaves? How... good is he in a fight?"

"He is sneaky." Hokuro said with grudging respect. "I didn't sense any Chakra until he revealed his location to me and Natsumo."

"His attack on Hokuro was like a surgeon making a cut... it was so precise!" Natsumo said. "He incapacitated him in seconds. This assassin has done his homework on the human body. Before I knew what was happening Hokuro was out of commission. The pressure points he hit with the senbon disabled all of Hokuro's attacks."

"Senbon needles." The Kazekage said after a moments silence. To Reiko he seemed slightly displeased. "But that was not all." Natsumo continued. "When I fought him he used a style I am unfamiliar with, the more I fought with him the more tired I felt... the more it took to move my arms and legs. When I finally managed to catch him with my chigiriki he performed one-handed seals and suddenly my chain snapped as if it were made of glass!" Natsumo shuddered. "After that I only remember trading a couple of blows more and then I couldn't move."

"When they came to we checked the chain... it was normal. No marks of any kind on it. It had just shattered."

The Kazekage looked thoughtful. "Very well. You are free to go back to Iwa. I will assign a scout to lead you back to the border with the land of Fire."

As the Iwa-nin left, another ninja from Suna entered the room.

"Baki. Good." The Kazekage motioned for the Suna-nin to take a seat. "I have some interesting news."

o.0.o

Haku shifted through reports. She had several stacks of them already, and if Ibiki hadn't given her an office she would have had a hard time organizing them properly.

The assassination of Banto was one of the most recent additions to her collection of documents. It was slightly annoying to run around town, pretending to be just a messenger the many contacts Jiraiya had established for the network had to give their reports to. As far as they knew the network itself had nothing to do with Konoha, which was smart. The network extended in all countries, in all villages. The information was passed in coded messages. Most members of the network were not even conscious that they were part of it. The information they would give Haku could be a simple, "Cousin hermit said that the weather had not allowed him to find that particular pickle you like so much." from an old lady in the market, which to Haku meant that Jiraiya had not encountered Zabuza-sama yet. Another, more involved member would pass her a scroll.

Haku had to visit several contacts at intervals during the week. Sometimes while playing with the other children, sometimes in shopping trips with Yoshino. Sometimes she would find the note in her pocket already.

Old couples, tourists, gangsters, Chunin, Jonin and even ANBU were part of the network. They were only aware that she was part of it, but not central to it. Jiraiya had done his job well.

Among the papers she found that Suna was inquiring into contracting the services of the Mist in the Leaves. Preparing the report that she was going to send to Jiraiya, she included that tidbit of information, although the Hokage would decide what to do about it.

A lot of the information she was sending was in a code she could not understand herself, but at least it insured that the dangerous information that would probably be found in there could not be tortured out of her.

She started scratching the bandage on her arm, but catching herself stopped. ANBU were marked with tattoos on their shoulders, and passing her test and becoming full ANBU had meant the tattoo on her right shoulder had been drawn that morning. It itched like crazy.

She picked one more report and started reading it. Her hand started to shake as she read. Zabuza-sama had been spotted recently. He had taken an assassination contract and had fulfilled it. None had survived. But what mattered the most to her was the contract itself. She remembered taking the contract along with him.

That meant that he would go underground for a couple of months, to throw of pursuers. But she knew now where he would head next. His next contract would come up in four months, where he would serve as escort to several business men, one of them being a member of Gato's group. That meant that soon, in one more year he and the Demon Brothers would meet again and be hired by Gato.

She was about to come full-circle.

Thinking fast, she wrote another scroll.

When the toad sent by Jiraiya reached her office, she was finished. Giving it the scroll with the gathered information and sending it on his way, she walked out. She needed to find one of the informants that were about to leave town.

**Next Chapter:**

"_I want to meet this 'Mist in the Leaves"_

"_What type of mission is it?"_

**AN:** I deeply apologize for how long it took to post this short chapter. Several things have come up and although I shouldn't have let them interfere with my writing... well, I did. Hopefully I didn't disappoint any of you with the length or quality of the chapter! I was really encouraged by all the reviews, good and not so good :) But in the end, knowing that you guys wanted to read more is what bitch-slapped me out of my lethargic state and encouraged me to write.

**Reviews: **(lots of them this time!)

**sharingon00: **Here it is! I think Sasuke and Neji will both take this as a hint to get stronger!

**ruroni warrior88: **Never forgotten!

**Sub-Zero:** :) Here you go...

**Shadow86:** Thanks for your support! Thankfully the only flamer has left without much word (I wonder if my rant got to him/her?) and the reviews have been helpful :) And yes, I want lots of reviews! I can only hope to one day reach the 1000 mark! :P hehe, one can dream, right?

**Xoroth:** Thanks! Welcome to Mist and Leaves!

**AkitoTsubaki:** Yes, I am aware of that... hehe, for the purpose of the story I have mostly ignored it... part of it is because of the relationship with the gang... so I'll allow a time-space paradox created by the fox to make them same age. :P I know it is not perfect, but I hope you guys won't mind that discrepancy too much... thanks for the vote and the support! If you notice something particularly annoying let me know by the ffnet messenger and I'll correct it later, ok?

**JovialShogun:** More Naruto time coming soon!

**RyumaOmega:** I hope the ANBU thing surprised a lot of people out there! :) I think her abilities do make her perfect for it, wouldn't you agree?

**red*robin:** Kimimaro... I had forgotten about him... I think by the time he met Zabuza he was already under Orochimaru's orders though... I think Neji will re-evaluate a lot of things about his skills, but I doubt something so simple would really change the way he thinks about others, Hinata especially.

**Awkio: **I think Haku thought the same thing that you did about mixing her skills with him, especially with her foreknowledge of Naruto :)

**Alucard180:** Thanks! I've read a couple of books that had nice fights in them, I'll see if I can adapt that a bit into my style.

**Seer: **Small things can make big changes!

**ADD Kyuubi Naruto: **Hehe, we've talked a bit about this right? Don't hesitate to tell me what you think!

**griffin blackwood:** Hope you liked this one as well!

**Youknowwhatman:** Maybe... I think training might be too strong a word, but certainly help.

**Enchantress10:** You might be a bit surprised (pleasantly) with how the fight between Haku, Neji and Sasuke might have influenced them.

**Bobboky:** Thanks! When the teams are made characters will become more involved. :)


	12. Chapter 12: A day at the Academy

Myst and Leaves

by Wanderer D

**Chapter 12.a**

"Honestly Naruto, you should just sit down, be quiet and study." Haruno Sakura whispered harshly to the Orange-clad teen. "That is how I get my good grades! Study! Read! Write reports! There's nothing else to it."

Naruto grinned sheepishly. "If I did that would you go out on a date with me, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "No. My heart belongs solely to Sasuke-kun."

Naruto sighed. "That Uchiha bastard."

Sakura growled and slammed her notebook onto Naruto's stomach. "Here. Copy the right answers. And be quick, I will need it by the time we are finished with recess. Remember the rules. Just leave it on my desk and make sure no-one notices."

With that she walked away, leaving the boy to sit down and quickly flip through both note-books. She could already see Sasuke in the distance, sitting with the rest of the "Nara Family" as they were called. It was missing a second member now, ever since Lee had graduated. The first one being, of course, Haku.

Sighing she shook her head. She couldn't believe that Gendo-sensei had purposefully ignored so many of Naruto's questions. It was not like they were _bad_ questions. Hell, she hadn't even known the answer to one of them.

But she knew that the answer he had given Naruto was incorrect. If Kiba hadn't been pedantic enough to whine that his sister had said otherwise, Gendo-sensei would have just let everyone believe what he had told Naruto.

Ever since she had noticed the others repeating the questions Naruto asked on their own, she had payed more attention.

Before, she would roll her eyes and scoff. She used to believe that if the teacher didn't acknowledge the question, it was not relevant. So, she was naturally annoyed when suddenly Shino would ask the exact same question Naruto had asked. Then they would get the answers.

They had to be crafty too. Shikamaru and Choji would ask the same question at different times, just to make sure the teachers had told them the truth, always trying to catch them distracted.

And the most amazing thing was that they had sometimes gotten as many as three different answers from the same teacher!

Sasuke had also asked again sometimes. Inevitably, whatever was told to Sasuke seemed to be written in stone. It was right. There was no ambivalence about it. If Sasuke asked, there seemed to be an unwritten law that declared that he should get the most detailed and complete answer.

She had sometimes gone straight to the library and confirmed this herself.

And why? Why did they have to do all of that? Why the craftiness, the underhanded note-passing, the subterfuge; the need to confirm the answer more than once?

It was because Naruto could not get a straight answer from most teachers.

She sighed.

Scratch that. He couldn't get a correct straight answer from most teachers.

To her, since she had found out how things worked at the Academy, it had been a complete shock. A teacher was an example to follow; wiser, older and more knowledgeable. They would tell you things and help you be prepared for the future.

Having always been taught by good and caring teachers, she had assumed that it would be the same for everyone, and it had taken her a whole year to find out what was happening with Naruto.

She sighed and shook her head, deciding to stop thinking about it. She could see the Sasuke-fan-club gathering just within eyesight of the Uchiha, who ignored them all as he ate quietly next to Shino and Hinata.

Sakura smiled. Let him ignore them! She was the only one for Sasuke-kun! She started running up to them, wondering where the hell Ino was.

o.0.o

Yamanaka Ino looked at the boy sitting next to her, busy writing down answers from Sakura's notebook.

"Hey Naruto," she looked at the distant groups of friends and not-so-friends. "why do you keep asking Sakura out?"

Naruto stopped writing and grinned. "Because she's so smart and pretty!"

Ino groaned and glared at him. "She's not the only one that's pretty! Or smart!"

Naruto stared blankly at her.

She sighed and motioned to him to keep writing, which he did. "I just think that you might want to think of others..." she looked at him from the corner of her eye. "I mean, there's plenty of pretty girls out there, right? And not all of them are infatuated with Sasuke-kun."

Naruto shrugged. "Like who? Most of the pretty ones are already after him. You and Sakura among them. Lucky bastard."

Ino blushed. "Um... well there is Hinata..."

A smile spread on Naruto's face, making her turn to look at him fully. "Yeah... Hinata is nice, isn't she? But she doesn't talk much."

He looked up at Ino, who quickly looked away. "I'm surprised you two don't see each other more after school?" she ventured.

Naruto shrugged. "We get together sometimes. The Family does a lot of things together."

Ino sighed. "You're too nice, Naruto-kun." her eyes opened wide at what she had said and she stood up. "Well, I have to go, I can't let that forehead keep Sasuke-kun from me!"

As she walked away she couldn't help but feel bad. She could never be part of the "Nara Family" that Haku had unintentionally created all those years back.

Part of what made them unique was that they did not care what others thought about them. Choji, to the eyes of most of the girls in school was fat. And that was it to him. She knew, however, that he was a sweet and loyal boy who truly cared about his friends.

Shikamaru was lazy. But underneath that, he was smart. So smart she had heard Haku herself muttering that she had never won in a game of Go against him.

Shino was mysterious, but because he was an Aburame, most girls, including herself, tended to stay far away from him. She had often wondered what type of person he really was.

Kiba and Naruto were pranksters, but morel loyal friends you could never find. She found Kiba's attitude towards the rest of the school kind of funny. He would protect his pack, the Nara Family, against the slightest insult.

Hinata tended to hide a lot, but she was very smart and sweet. At first, she had been annoyed that Hinata spent more time with Sasuke because she was part of the Nara Family than all of the fan-club put together.

Sasuke... was Sasuke. He was constantly in turmoil and kept mostly to himself. The fact that he was cute helped with getting the unwanted attention of the Club. Although she liked him, she had grown to appreciate the others too. But being the president of the Club gave her the prestige and recognition that she wanted from her peers. Being there meant that she was the most popular girl in school, and to be part of the Family, she would have to give that up. And she didn't want to give it up, as much as she wanted to sit together with a certain boy, without Sakura teasing her, or the Club expecting her leadership.

She reached the Club, who raised their voices when they recognized their president, all but Sakura, who was her "rival".

Putting thoughts of orange-clad boys away from her head, she smiled a big grin.

"Let's get Sasuke-kun!" she shouted.

o.0.o

Hyuga Hinata sat under the tree that was the epicenter of the Nara Family's "territory". At first she had been almost horrified when people started referring to them as that, but what could you expect when everyone called Haku "Aneki"?

Her father had seen her pretty much as a failure from day one, and once word of her involvement with what he called "that little group of Yakuza" had reached him, he had almost forbid her to be part of it.

It had been mostly the nature of the majority of the members group that had made him reconsider.

Children from the Uchiha, Nara, Yamanaka, Aburame and Inuzuka Clans were part of this little "family".

Those were prestigious and strong clans, her father had said.

The fact that Haku, who had graduated early, was apprenticed under Ibiki of the ANBU Interrogation squad and had even bested Neji in combat, had created this little group was not lost on him.

Thus, Hiashi had decided that maybe, just maybe, she would benefit by being with strong personalities and strong fighters.

Even if little miscreants such as Naruto were part of this group.

He had been particularly keen on forbidding her from association with "that brat" outside of the group. In fact, she was to avoid his company in the most polite way, if at all possible.

Begrudgingly seeing the benefits of such contacts, he had only uttered to her that she should always remember that she was a Hyuga and should act as such.

She had indeed, grown a bit stronger and less shy. Constant pranks pulled by the Family at one point or another under the direction of Naruto-kun and Kiba had involved all the members at some point. And Hinata's Byakugan was essential to pull some of the most impressive ones off. Her mastery of her family technique was shaky at best, but she had been able to maintain it longer than ever before, even if it was for less than a minute.

Regardless of that ability, she had very good attention to details. Which is why she was now shifting uncomfortably as she spied Ino talking to her Naruto-kun. Ino was trying to stay out of sight from the rest of the children, and doing a mostly good job of it. She was sure most of the others hadn't even noticed that.

When Ino left Naruto alone, and walked up to join the Sasuke Fan Club, Hinata had to wonder why that girl kept forcing herself to do that. She had no doubt that if Sasuke asked Ino for a date, the Yamanaka would immediately agree. But she had to wonder how much would be real interest in the Uchiha and how much would be her hunger for popularity.

She sighed, wishing that Ino would outgrow that so that there would be at least _another_ girl in the group. Even if she then would have a rival of her own for Naruto-kun's affections.

She sighed. "Naruto-kun."

"Did you say something, Hinata?" Sasuke asked, looking at her. Hinata immediately blushed.

The whole Fan Club screamed, but the Nara Family ignored them. For the most part. Kiba started berating Sasuke on bringing his Fan Club along every time.

But to Hinata, the damage was done.

She didn't give a damn about the Fan Club, but just being caught daydreaming about Naruto-kun left her stammering and confused, wondering how to properly say that she had just been talking to herself without giving away her interest in the blond boy.

o.0.o

Shino sighed as Sasuke ignored Kiba and the Inuzuka started to scream louder.

He had become part of the "Nara Family" because of Naruto. The hyperactive boy had noticed him practice with the few members of his hive and had been in awe of the insects that Shino had under his command.

Shino had been surprised when Naruto had shown enough interest to be able to name the different bugs by species after only a couple of talks.

After talking about it with his father, he had noticed the surprise in him and his mother at Naruto's honest interest and respect. His father had told him that few people appreciated the Aburame's abilities so quickly and had encouraged Shino to see if the other members of the "Nara Family" were as open minded.

Shino, for his part had found it interesting to interact for real with this particular group of ninja-hopefuls. It was his belief that their abilities would put them at the top of the young Genins when they graduated. As such, he wanted to learn as much as he could about them.

Two of them would be part of his squad, according to his father.

So who would it be?

The strong minded and extremely energetic Naruto?

The shy, but promising Hinata?

The loud and obnoxious Kiba, with his amazing senses?

The really strong and kind hearted Choji?

The lazy but incredibly smart Shikamaru?

The Uchiha, whose abilities seemed to be the most balanced all around?

In his mind, several patterns and possibilities had formed already, although he was sure whoever chose the Genin teams would have specific objectives in mind.

It was interesting to see the interactions within the group. The most infamous being Sasuke and Naruto's.

Naruto brought several questions to his mind. It was not logical for the teachers to affect a whole group of pre-genin by answering Naruto's questions incorrectly. It was, in fact, detrimental to the whole of Konoha if the students were misinformed or lacked the necessary knowledge.

He had been one of the first to catch on to what Haku had started doing and he wondered what would have happened if Haku hadn't cued them. Of course all students could find the correct answers in the books in the library, but he had later found that few even tried, and that Naruto could not enter the library.

Most of the other students were content to write down whatever the teacher had said first. Few ever took advantage of him or any other member of the Nara Family asking the question again to get the correct answer. It was now customary for Naruto to stay back and double-check his notes with Sakura's.

She was another mystery for the Aburame.

Originally both she and Ino had followed the adult's and most other children's influence and treated Naruto like the plague. That was the reason the Nara Family was so particular, in fact. Most would not look past the bad things whispered about Naruto. But Sakura and Ino seemed to have a softer side and sometimes helped out the youth despite publicly denouncing him.

Sakura seemed nice to him, although her obsession with Sasuke was an immediate put-off. That girl did not think rationally whenever the Uchiha was in sight.

It was sad really, since he thought she might be an interesting person to have a conversation with. Her book knowledge and her mind were certainly a bonus in his eyes.

Shino closed his eyes and relaxed against the trunk of the tree until the bell rang.

o.0.o

"Okay, start!" Iruka shouted.

Naruto and Kiba circled each other. Today was combat practice. Taijutsu was the only thing allowed, no weapons, genjutsu or ninjutsu whatsoever.

"Here I go!" Naruto shouted, jumping straight at Kiba.

The Inuzuka grinned, showing his fangs and jumped at Naruto. Both traded punches, more concerned on hitting the other than dodging.

Iruka watched carefully as the fight progressed. Naruto started relying more on his flexibility and dodged more and more of Kiba's attacks, but whenever he jumped in to hit Kiba his attacks were as vicious as the Inuzuka's.

For his part the dog-trainer seemed to predict some of Naruto's more outrageous attacks, and was able to counter them effectively. After a while, both combatants were breathing heavilly.

"Okay, that's enough for now! Next, Sasuke versus Shinji!"

Naruto and Kiba slumped down on the floor next to the rest of the gang.

"Well, it seems all those afternoons training finally are paying off!" Kiba said, elbowing Naruto on the arm.

Naruto nodded. "Too bad your sister insisted that Akamaru stay with her tonight, he would have enjoyed watching this fight!"

Kiba nodded.

Iruka, who was still keeping an eye on Sasuke smiled to himself. _"So Kiba has been helping Naruto? No wonder he has become a much better fighter, even if his style is more of a brawl than an actual martial art."_

"Okay Sasuke, that's enough." he said making his way towards the unconscious Shinji.

o.0.o

"Neji-kun..." Hinata said in surprise as she walked out of the Academy.

The Nara Family stopped as well. Neji ignored them.

"Hinata, I've come to escort you back. Your father wants you to start training earlier tonight."

"But..." Hinata started to say, only for Neji to grab her arm.

"Let's go, Hinata-sama."

"Hey! Let her go!" Naruto yelled pushing Neji back. "She's with us. We can escort her back without you hanging around."

Neji snorted. "What makes you think that a bunch of losers like you can even approach the Hyuga complex? Go back to pretending that your little leader will come back. Oh... wait. She won't. She's too busy whoring herself out to get as far as she can."

Hinata gasped and the rest of the Nara Family were taken aback. Having said those words, Neji immediately regretted it. Although he held no love towards Haku, he knew she would never do something like that.

He had said it, though, and he would not take it back. It was then that he was surprised to be held by the neck of his coat by none other than Shikamaru.

The normally laid back boy growled straight in his face. "Take it back!"

Neji immediately pushed him back, but the Nara jumped at him, throwing punches. "Take it back! You don't talk about my sister that way!"

Surprised, the Hyuga prodigy was barely able to dodge a few of the punches, but his training was too good for Shikamaru to hit him.

That's when Choji punched him.

o.0.o

"And furthermore, I do not want to hear any excuses! You are training to be ninja! Behave like that!" Iruka shouted to the group. Lined in front of him was the whole Nara Family, all bruised and bloody, plus one Hyuga Neji, who sported a blackened eye and a split lip. "Do I make myself clear!"

"Hai, Sensei!" all shouted.

Sighing, Iruka massaged his forehead. "Dismissed."

o.0.o

That afternoon, after school was over and the rest of the Nara Family had gone home, Sasuke walked to wards his objective.

The empty halls of the Uchiha compound were little comfort for anyone, but even less for the sole survivor of a massacre that had occurred there.

Sasuke hated this place with a passion, but it was his home, and although every memory was painful, he drew that into himself, remembering the words of his brother. _"Hate me."_

He had avoided the place for almost two years now. But a memory had come to his mind, earlier that day, during class, of his father's study.

He had caught him hiding something, all those years ago, and had been sworn to secrecy by him. Fugaku had snarled and glared at him in such anger, Sasuke had been surprised his father's Sharingan hadn't activated and the elder Uchiha burnt him into a crisp. However, he had extracted Sasuke's word that No-one, absolutely no-one would know about it.

The young Uchiha made his way unto his old house. The floors had been cleaned of blood and bodies. For a moment, as he stared at the dining room, he could see his parents... dead, or dying. A pool of blood dripping onto the mat where they put their shoes... he shook his head and vanished the memory. Keeping his eyes away from the scene, Sasuke ran upstairs to his father's study. The dust that flew around him when he opened the door reminded him how long no-one had been here. The office was pretty much empty now. Shortly after the massacre, the Hokage had ordered the place cleaned up, with almost everything going to Sasuke.

He had all the boxes still. He didn't have the heart to open them and rummage through. But this memory had dragged him back here, because he knew only a Uchiha could find what his father had hidden.

He knelt next to his father's old desk, where he had seen him do it before. Following his memories, he took out a kunai and slashed his palm, letting blood drip out. Looking down, he pressed his bleeding hand on top of a normal-looking tile.

The seal protecting it started glowing as his blood seemed to be absorbed. The tile seemed to get a bit smaller as metal lining appeared around it. In the center, under his hand, a small handle appeared. Sasuke nodded and pulled the handle, taking the tile out of the floor, and revealing a hidden compartment under it.

It contained two scrolls, and a black covered book.

After confirming the scrolls were locked by several seals, he threw them into his backpack. He stared at the book. It was the one his father used to write on when he was alone in his study. He had seen it a couple of times. His father's pen had always been pressed on the pages, flowing as he wrote. It had been this book that Sasuke had seen his father put into the compartment so long ago.

Sasuke opened the cover and stared at the first page of the book.

The Fate of the Uchiha: A story of our beloved clan's rise to Rightful Power

by Uchiha Fugaku; Clan Leader

Under the wondrous title, Sasuke read the last few words on that page:

For my worthy children, Uchiha Itachi and Uchiha Sasuke

May this book be an inspiration to you as the history and purpose within were to me.

Sasuke felt tears gather in his eyes. Tears... and anger. Worthy? His brother had betrayed them all. His father would never finish this book.

Sasuke growled. But maybe he would. Putting the book into his backpack, he stood and looked around. There was nothing else there for him now.

He turned around and walked out of the room.

**Next Chapter:**

_The stories continue! Find out how certain other members of the Naruverse are doing! As well as Haku's next mission!_

**AN:** I decided that I needed to focus more on the rest of the cast. The voting has concluded and I have the winner: Naru/Haku... but more could come up ahead! I will respect the wishes of my readers and follow that one, but it has to flow naturally, so don't expect it to happen overnight! Others also have shown interest in Naruto... should this be a harem fic? Hm... Hopefully someday I will get 50 reviews per chapter, but in the meantime, keep up telling me what you think!

-WD


	13. Chapter 13: An old friend

Mist and Leaves

by Wanderer D

**Chapter 13**

This particular inn was bigger than most roadside inns.

The reason behind it being the strategic position it had, as it had been built almost on the exact point where the three main roads connecting the Fire, Water and Wind countries met. It was a hub of news and stories of all kind.

A place that enjoyed its own brand of independence as it was legally placed on all three countries, so to speak.

Oh, there were towns nearby, but the oft-warring nature of these countries meant that they had to be placed pretty far away from each other. Easily a two day trip for any trained nin, and a considerable longer distance to regular folk.

This is where Zabuza waited for his contact. An obviously missing-nin shouldn't be in a place like this at all, even protected by a hood from prying eyes. It was this detail that helped him hide in plain sight.

He saw his contact walk into the Inn's main room.

He had known this man for years, even before the fiasco at Water country, and they had remained acquainted. When new jobs came about, he would come here to meet with Fuunji.

Zabuza kept careful watch of the other patrons as Fuunji approached.

His eyes roamed about the room, stopping to gauge the others for a split second before continuing. He saw the short guy in the hood as Fuunji was halfway there. He wasn't looking at him, but something about how he positioned himself drew his attention to him.

Zabuza pretended to be observing Fuunji when his concentration was actually focused on the only other hooded individual. The man did not turn in his direction, seeming to nurse his drink, but inclined his head less than an inch in what could be interpreted as acknowledgment.

This worried Zabuza as much as it sent his blood boiling. This guy was good.

It was what he did next that sprung Zabuza into action. His hand extended to grip the tankard in front of him, but his fingers flexed. The missing-nin knew those signals well.

As he jumped towards the startled Fuunji, Zabuza released his sanbatou from its harness.

Two assassins sitting on the tables behind Fuunji jumped, but Zabuza was ready for them. His battle-hardened mind registered a third assassin suddenly being impaled by a kunai and dropping dead in almost slow motion to his eyes.

His gigantic sword cleaved the first assassin in half and as the momentum of the swing pulled him, he used it to jump at the same time he threw a kunai into the second assassin's throat, killing him instantly.

A fourth assassin was making his way towards him as civilian patrons started to register the fact that there was a fight and that people were dying.

As the first of them screamed in horror at the dead bodies, two sanbon needles lodged themselves with amazing accuracy on the last assassin's neck.

Zabuza was already turning to the hooded man when he rushed past him, picking up the falling would-be-assassin and motioning Zabuza to follow him.

Without missing a beat, the missing-nin followed the unknown ninja towards the forest.

o.0.o

The assassin gasped when the two needles were pulled out. He couldn't move. He looked up to see the dreaded Zabuza towering over him. Behind Zabuza, another man, presumably another missing-nin ally waited, a hood covering his face and a cape his body.

"I was wondering why you brought him with you." Zabuza growled, his respect for his unknown benefactor growing and making him even more wary.

But there was only one way for someone to know those signals he had seen. That made this ninja either an ally or an extremely dangerous enemy.

Zabuza cleared his throat. "I'm surprised to see another of the Seven Swordsmen here." But which one could it be? He didn't remember any of the others being so short. An apprentice, maybe?

The would be assassin's eyes grew even bigger and he started sweating.

"I'm... not one of the Seven Swordsmen, Zabuza-san." a surprisingly soft voice answered. "Although I am on your side. But first I think you have a job to do with his man." the hooded ninja pointed at the assassin who meeped in horror. "I'll wait for you over there."

Zabuza frowned. "Aren't you interested in finding out what he wants?"

"I already know." the hooded one answered. "However I think it would appease you more to conduct your own interrogation rather than trust the word of a stranger."

Zabuza nodded and watched the ninja walk away from them, to sit down next to a tree and pull out a scroll.

The strange hooded ninja started reading as Zabuza turned his eyes to the terrified assassin.

o.0.o

"So you knew what he was after?" Zabuza asked as he wiped his hands clean of blood on a piece of cloth he had ripped from the now dead would-be-assassin's clothes.

The other ninja nodded, rolling up the scroll and hiding it within his cloak. "They were sent by Sugetsu of Rock to get revenge for your assassination of his brother... and most of his clan... in the southern provinces."

The missing-nin frowned. "That's not all."

The hooded ninja shrugged. "It's not for me to tell you everything, after all you got all that information out of him yourself."

"That does not explain why you helped me." Zabuza countered, a slight edge to his voice.

The sitting ninja nodded. "I have my reasons but..."

Zabuza watched as the ninja pulled his hood back and the cloak off, revealing an ANBU uniform under it, the vest was done in the Konoha style, but the color-scheme was black with metal blue lining, he was wearing the customary fingerless gloves, but unlike several affiliated ninja, the guards on the gloves had no symbol and were metallic blue. The ninja was wearing a mask with a wolf design to it, but the most important thing was the forehead protector, hanging around his neck.

It was a mixture of the symbols for Mist and Leaf. A new symbol that was starting to gain a lot of infamy or fame in certain circles.

"So you are the Mist in the Leaves." Zabuza said stepping back and assuming a battle stance, his sword ready. "Did you come here to hunt me down?" his eyes glinted and under the bandages covering his mouth a smile formed. "I can respect you not letting other hunters getting me."

The masked ninja chuckled. "You're getting me wrong, Zabuza-san." he motioned with his hand for him to calm down, which the missing-nin did not.

"You will have to forgive me if I have my reservations about you simply helping me," Zabuza said. "You have made quite a name for yourself, you know secret signs that only the Seven Swordsmen know, you've proven yourself very capable on the battle before... what could your interest in me be other than my head?"

The Mist in the Leaves sighed. "Actually... there is a bit to that, but I want to make you part of my network."

Zabuza lowered his sword a bit, surprise clearly written on his face. Then he started laughing. "You have got to be kidding me."

Under her mask, Haku smiled. "No joke. I have the utmost respect for you, Zabuza-san. I think we both could benefit by forming an alliance of information. I have no interest in hunting you, and let's face it you are running low on allies."

Zabuza pondered the words of the strange nin. "Tell me. How did you know the secret sign language of the Seven Swordsmen?"

The Mist in the Leaves slowly stood up. "I was once apprenticed to one of them. That is all I can say. Do we have a deal?"

Zabuza laughed. The young ninja had confirmed his earlier suspicions. "For now." he watched Haku intently. "There's something familiar about you, I can't place it though... you seem too young to be one of the original apprentices of the others."

Haku shrugged, seeming calm despite the fact that her heart was beating much faster than normal. "Yes, that is true. Although I cannot tell you my master's name at this time, I can tell you that I know the real reason you get jobs such as the ones you have been getting."

Zabuza didn't say anything.

"As such, this alliance will benefit you and me both." Haku reiterated her previous point. "I have to go, Zabuza-san, I have a mission. One of my agents will contact you."

Zabuza watched the Mist in the Leaves jump away until he lost sight of him.

"I'll be waiting."

o.0.o

"Did you find the person you were looking for?" Sarutobi asked.

"Yes Hokage-sama." Haku answered, nodding. "I have secured an ally and useful source of information for our network."

The Hokage nodded. "Is Zabuza really trustworthy?"

Sarutobi's question threw Haku off for a moment, she looked at him in utter surprise. "How..."

"I am the Hokage, Haku." The Professor smiled dangerously, then motioned for the kunoichi to answer his earlier question.

Haku sighed. "In a way we can predict how he will act. He can be trusted to remain loyal as long as we don't give him wrong information. I am convinced that we can give him accurate information and manipulate things so that his interests and Konoha's don't cross."

Sarutobi nodded. "I am impressed that you managed to convince him, Haku. It could not have been easy."

Haku blushed a bit. "Well, my network found out about a group of assassins sent after him. Helping him survive that put me in his good books for the moment." she sobered up. What she was about to say was true, but it didn't make it any easier to say. "However Zabuza is a very dangerous man and prone to fits of fury. It will require a lot of careful planning or I might end up with him after my life."

Sarutobi nodded.

He looked out of his window for a few moments. "I have decided to send you to Sunagakure. Although we are allies, I have an interest to see why they would require your services. Be careful Haku, Suna is a very different place than you are used to visiting."

Haku nodded. "I'll leave tomorrow..."

Sarutobi raised his hand. "Not yet. I have arranged your meeting with them to be in a month or so, I want you to train with Anko and Tsume in some basic desert survival skills for you and your wolves, as well as find out what Ibiki has on Suna nin. I also want you to spend some time with your family."

"Yes, Hokage-sama. But I have a question..."

Sarutobi nodded.

"Why wait?"

Sarutobi smiled. "Because they will assume that you have a lot of work in between now and meeting them."

o.0.o

"Kazekage-sama."

"Baki. What do you want?"

"We have received confirmation that the Mist in the Leaves will meet me."

"Excellent. Our plan will proceed as I instructed. Have everything prepared."

"Yes, Kazekage-sama.

o.0.o

Shikamaru watched the clouds pass by. School had finished for the day and soon he would have to go back to train with his parents.

He sighed. The "Nara Family" had gotten categorized as a gang by some individuals because of the fight with Neji.

Oddly enough, Hiashi had refrained from any accusations, in fact, most of the negative response had come from non-ninja families, such as Sakura's mother, or several parents from the Sasuke Fan-club.

Sasuke was a problem though. Although he had not stopped hanging around with them, he had become much more quiet than before, retreating into himself and being anti-social even with those he could have called friends.

As he brooded he barely noticed the person that had sat next to him. When he did, he only permitted arching an eyebrow as an indication that he was surprised.

"Welcome back, sis."

Haku smiled and lay down to look at the sky. "It's good to be home."

"You came back just in time for training, did you know that?"

Haku shrugged. "Yeah, but I'm not to worried about it. Most of my day today has been uneventful."

"So, where did you go this time?" Shikamaru asked as he sat up.

"To meet with an old friend."

o.0.o

It was nighttime in Konoha. The day had been productive; Shikaku had finally decided to train both of them in the Nara shadow jutsus. Haku had been both delighted and humbled by the trust she was getting from the Nara Clan. If there had been any doubt left in her about them being a true family it would have been erased at that moment.

Ninja clans didn't just give away their techniques like that. Which brought her to her current predicament.

In her hands she had the sealed container the mysterious ninja she had met while training with Jiraiya gave her.

The Ice Mist. A technique requiring such control of the ice element that all her previous attempts had produced pale imitations of the one she had seen performed. Her half-way technique she had decided to call "Ice Wind" and had been cold enough to open the summoning contract, but not the cylinder.

The Ice Ninja that gave her the scroll had also set a time limit for her to open the container. And the time limit was almost at an end.

She sat down and stared at the lake. She was thankful once again for being a member of the Nara family, but this time not because of emotional reasons, but because of the vast forested areas that were part of the compound.

The deer that the Nara Clan took care off needed a lot of space to run around and grow, and this forest protected her from most prying eyes.

"You can come out, Shikamaru." She said, looking at where her brother stood, hidden in the shadows.

Shikamaru sighed as he approached.

"Tch. Troublesome. Why are you here sis? I saw you sneak out of the house."

Haku pondered on what to tell her brother. After all, other than knowing she had been trained by several ninja he didn't know much about her secret techniques, her bloodline or even that she was able to summon.

Sure, he had seen Wiglaf, but that could be just a pet or a partner like Akamaru was to Kiba.

She patted the ground next to her. "Come sit here bro."

Shikamaru made an annoyed face, but sat down next to her. She had grown used to his frowns and her dad's frowns. They did that a lot.

"So what's up, Haku? We seldom see you anymore and when you come home you sneak off?"

Haku smiled and hugged her brother. "It's not that, Shika. I have some secrets... sometimes I have to train on my own because I have to be careful of who sees them."

Shikamaru nodded, but she could see he was not convinced. She showed him the container.

The Genin-to-be was held the container with amazement. The black metallic container had an intricate design on it. A silver dragon, snaking around it. The tail started at one tip and the creature ended with its extended tongue touching the opposite tip of the container. There didn't seem to be any openings on it, no ways to get the contents.

"That was given to me by a ninja I met when I was traveling with Jiraiya-sensei."

Shikamaru's eyes widened. "Jiraiya of the Sannin?"

Haku nodded. "Didn't think you actually knew everything about your sister, did you? I like to keep some secrets!" She winked at him and her smile grew when he muttered under his breath. "You met him, a long time ago at the Hokage Tower." she pointed out.

Shikamaru nodded after a moments thought. "I remember little of it. I guess it was the big man that later came to the party when you came to live with us?"

Haku nodded. "While I was with him I encountered a ninja that was on his way to a place he thought he would never return from. He showed me a skill, which he said I would have the potential to accomplish and gave me this scroll. I have a few hours left to master it so I can open the scroll."

Shikamaru shook his head. "So what is this skill? Some type of jutsu?"

Haku tilted her head a bit, listening to a couple of swans in the distant shores of the lake calling to each other before going back to sleep. "It is more of a bloodline ability."

They remained silent after that, both staring at the calm shores of the lake. Shikamaru was surprised at this information. He had never imagined that his sister would have a bloodline, or that she had trained under Jiraiya. There were many things he didn't know about her and it annoyed him to find the person closest to him was still such a mystery.

"Are you going to try it tonight?" he asked.

Haku nodded. "I have to." She stood up, but motioned with her hand as he started to get up to leave. "You are welcome to stay, Shikamaru."

Her brother nodded and watched her as she walked down to the shore of the lake.

Haku took a deep breath. She placed the scroll on a large boulder. She closed her eyes and slowly drew energy from deep within herself.

Shikamaru watched as mist started to form around his sisters ankles. He could feel a drop in temperature as steady as the mist rose around Haku.

The air seemed clearer, crisper, as in the cold mornings of winter. Haku's hand slowly came up and she held it, palm facing up the mist around her body sped up, forming into a sphere slightly bigger than her hand.

Shikamaru watched in awe as Haku opened her eyes. Thin tendrils of mist rose from the water of the lake and the humid ground around her, still concentrating on her sphere.

"Is that the technique?" Shikamaru asked.

Haku shook her head. "It's not strong enough... I can get to this point but for some reason I cannot produce the necessary temperature."

Shikamaru nodded, looking at the sphere. "Just how cold is that?"

Haku shrugged. "This will kill a man, or even a ninja of cold exposure in seconds. If you remember when you met Naruto I used a much weaker version of this one to freeze the blood in the Chunin's hand."

Her brother gulped. "And that is not cold enough?"

The kunoichi shook her head. "No. The ninja touched a boulder not unlike the one I have in front of me with it and it froze so much he was able to break it with a normal punch."

"How troublesome." Shikamaru sighed. He looked at the sphere and recalled what her sister had said before. "Sis... how big was the sphere the ninja made?"

"Roughly this size, from what I remember."

Shikamaru nodded. "But... have you taken into account that you have grown up? If you met him when traveling with Jiraiya you were much smaller..."

Haku took a sharp breath and looked down at the sphere. Shikamaru could be right. She tried to remember not how big it looked to her but how big it was compared to the hand of the ninja that showed it to her. "I think... you might be right!"

Concentrating harder, she focused on the sphere in her hand, the flowing mist inside it started taking a bluish glow as layers of swirling mist slowly tightened around each other. She could even feel the cold it was producing when the layers had formed and the sphere was small enough to float on the center of her palm with most of her fingers hovering around it.

Looking at the black container she grinned as she brought down her hand with the sphere on it. "Ice Mist!" she shouted the moment the sphere came in contact with the black metal cylinder.

**Next Chapter:**

"_These techniques..."_

"_Sis? You look pale, what do they do?"_

**AN:** Sorry for the delay everyone. I got lost on the road of life... Anyway, onto the reviews:

**RaiderXV**

Thank you for your review! Well, the Harem remains to be seen. So far we have to follow the line the story sets for itself, it will be easier for all of us when the gang graduates, after all, Haku cannot really interact with most of them while she is out doing missions and they are stuck in school.

**6tailedninja**

Thank you, the story is definitely character-driven so its good to see I am managing to show more of them and that you guys are enjoying it! On your recommendation I checked out "The Broken Tool" and I am working my way through it! It is very interesting, thank you for pointing it out to me! I am always on the lookout for Fem Haku or Haku survival stories.

**Phoenix Firestorm**

Thank you for the review, Phoenix Firestorm! As you can see here is the new chapter, much later than I would have liked, but still going :) I hope you enjoy it as well!

**Nights**

Thank you for your extensive comments! Although I wouldn't categorize Haku as a Genin in this fic, her being ANBU places her on the Jonin side rather. I will certainly take into account the personal abilities of the rookie nine, don't worry.

**DarkPoet89**

Thank you :) As for the four way/harem, heh, technicalities ;) I guess it depends who you ask. And no need to beg, reviews feed the writing spirit!

**Shadow86**

Thank you, and I am glad you are enjoying what has been written so far! Yes, I don't want to mess up too much the mainstream plot, although obviously, thanks to Haku's influence the outcomes will be a bit difficult. Sasuke is in an important threshold right now, and only time can tell how his friend's influence and understanding (which he didn't have much of in the original story) will affect his future actions.

**gameroy**

Thank you, I also agree that it is not a good idea to go overboard with the characters/number of harem members.

**Sub-Zero**

I think it was necessary for Shikamaru to defend his sister :) as for Tenten... she's there, but there are some plot devices I have planned for her that you might find interesting ;)

**Cyraxr**

Well as a fan of those kunoichi I think you will be glad to know that I intend to use them in the story extensively in the future :)

**Hells Mercenary**

Thank you for the review! Let's see, the Haku/Naru relationship will take some time, as I am also curious to see how that develops :) I think although Naruto will not have the wrong answers anymore, he still is Naruto, so he might slack off a bit on the study part, but don't worry we will cover the test when it happens. As for your earlier question about the training, Jiraiya would have no problems as we have seen with him training Nagato and Co. and as for the others and why they taught Haku... well they trained her for a bit, the reasoning being to gauge her strenghts and report which might be the best way to proceed with her, at the point he trained her Itachi was still a Chunin, and he, Kurenai and Kakashi would have just done so for a couple of weeks at most. She seemed unusually smart and able for her young age and the Hokage would have tried and given her good role models to follow. When she became ANBU, Kakashi would have been a good choice for mentoring her.

**Darkamber8828**

I do need to bring Wiglaf into the story more often :) The wolves are coming back into it soon.

**DarkRavie**

Thank you, hope you enjoyed this new chapter!

**red*robin**

Well we can wait and see how Neji turns up :) but his defeat by Haku does certainly weight on his mind. You'll see...

**griffin blackwood**

Well he is an unofficial part of the Nara Family :)

**RyumaOmega**

Well, we will see a development of their relationship as the story progressed :) just don't expect it to happen in one single chapter!

**Marz1**

Indeed, Neji is more controlled but Haku's abilities are a mystery to him and his defeat certainly is a sore spot, thankfully he realized soon that what he said was wrong.

**Dermonster**

Thanks for the review! Hope you enjoyed the dance!

**-WD**


	14. Chapter 14

Mist and Leaves

by Wanderer D

**Chapter 14**

"We cannot really let this opportunity pass." Ibiki said. "Although Suna is our ally, we have reports of unsettling individuals in their midst. So you should treat this as a double mission, you need to find out as much information as you can. Suna thinks you are a missing nin of some sort, so that gives you the advantage. Do your job and get out, Suna is strong despite being so small and it wouldn't surprise me if they had something planned for you. After all, not many would think the death of a "missing nin" a bad thing."

Haku nodded as she prepared her equipment. She had gone over it carefully to disguise her dual identity and checked it almost daily. It might seem a bit much to some, but she wanted to have the two distinct personalities as different as possible.

Senbon needles were her trademark, so she would keep them. They were cheap, deadly if used correctly and could be bought anywhere. Her uniform was very different from the rest of Konoha's ANBU, so they could not trace it back to there, and her hitai-ate although a mixture of symbols didn't give any clear indication of where she really was. Her method of fighting would point more towards Mist anyway, and the rumors of her contacting Zabuza-sama would certainly move people to that conclusion.

"I will be careful Ibiki-san." Haku said. "Thank you for the information on Sunagakure."

Ibiki grunted. "Always a pleasure to help my agents. I have to warn you though, some of the Jonin have talked about bringing in the famed Mist in the Leaves, so make sure you are far from Konoha when you turn into your other self."

The kunoichi smiled as she stood up and said goodbye for the day. Keeping her identity from the Jonin of the village had been advised to her by the few that knew her identity, limited to Tsume, Kakashi, Ibiki, Jiraiya and the Hokage.

Even her parents were unaware of how much Haku did and was part of. She hated keeping secrets from them, but the ever pragmatical Shikaku had reminded her that ninja of any village had to keep secrets from their loved ones. It was part of a way of life.

She had not been a tool in so long that she had almost forgotten how that was. Now she was not a tool but an individual, and that made things more complicated.

Her thoughts went to the cylinder she had finally managed to open with a bit of Shikamaru's help. The techniques described inside were as inspiring as they were terrifying. They were designed for heavy close combat, something she would love to avoid but recognized as unlikely in the long run.

Shikamaru had been adamant on her showing the scroll to the Hokage, and she had eventually agreed. Although all of these techniques could only be used with her bloodline, since there was no way a mix-element jutsu would be fluid enough to adapt, they were best be recorded for future reference. Especially the finishing moves described there.

Haku shuddered. She had never been a fan of gore and splattering of blood, although her guess was that Zabuza-sama would love to see the Mist in the Leaves perform them. He was into that kind of thing after all.

That made her wonder, the Mist in the Leaves had a very effective silent assassin method of fighting. Although she hadn't been in a position of showing her family style to her enemies, if she did, she might be easily recognized by observers at later dates.

However, if she adopted this Ice Dragon Fighting Style into her Mist in the Leaves persona, it would make it almost impossible to relate the two unless she was forced into using her ice techniques, but if she was careful even then, people would still think that the Mist in the Leaves was male, while Haku was clearly female.

It was getting late already. Although her main job was to keep tabs on the spy network Jiraiya had set up, she was merely a nexus of a greater whole. She also had to work for Ibiki and arrange contacts, manage interrogations, train with Ibiki on interrogation resistance techniques and other things and it took most of her day sitting behind a desk when she wasn't doing special training of some sort with Tsume or Anko.

o.0.o

As she walked down the mostly empty streets of Konoha, she felt a familiar presence.

"I see you opened the cylinder." A voice said "well done."

She turned around and stared at the ninja that had given her the scroll so long ago. He had aged. Although his body still was powerful, his scarred face was lined with wrinkles. There was something new about him though, a sense that he was more, much more than he had been before.

"I did, and I thank you for those techniques, I will learn them and master them." Haku said. She struggled with the many questions she had about who he was, and how he could do the techniques that should only belong to her bloodline. "I did not know I would ever see you again." she said finally.

The ninja chuckled. "I sense a lot of improvement in you, beyond even my expectations when I gave you the cylinder, and believe me, I would not have given it to you if I had not expected much from you. You have attained a contract with powerful beings, and trained yourself thoroughly in your family art and mastered the Ice Mist."

Haku nodded. "But where have you been? From that one conversation we had I thought you believed it unlikely you would survive your trip."

The ninja nodded. "I did survive... in a manner of speaking. I have become something else, and as I become more into that which I am destined to be, my links with my previous life break one by one like dry twigs. By the time I hear the snap it's too late." he shook his head. "When I felt you had achieved control of the Ice Mist, I decided to visit you and impart the basic knowledge of the Ice Dragon Style. I am afraid I do not have the time to help you master it, but with your own family style, the basics will be easy to learn and transform into the true Ice Dragon Style."

Haku nodded thoughtfully, her mind returning to her earlier thoughts. How much of this was coincidence and how much fate or a plan? On one hand she could step away from it and try to make the best of with what she had, which was nothing to scoff at... her life as a mercenary ninja with Zabuza, the teachings of Jiraiya, the training with Kakashi and Kurenai, her brief but humbling experience under Itachi's tutelage... learning more about the human body than even her shiatsu and now more advanced medical nin training, and her experience learning with Ibiki... learning the secret shadow jutsus of the Nara Clan... she was certainly in a position to be very influential in Konoha just by those merits alone.

She could just say 'no' and walk away. What she had now could only be taken from her by death... but on the other hand she could play along and find out how far fate would take her. She was her own person now, not a tool. She was trained by some of the best ninja to have walked the land and yet, when she looked at Zabuza she knew she was not yet his equal. When she looked at Kakashi, she knew, he would still best her. When she talked to Anko and went to missions with her, she could feel the gap... the former apprentice of Orochimaru was beyond her... she had learned so much, but she could be much better. She was almost at the age where she had met Naruto for the first time and although she was stronger than any other Chunin and much stronger than she had been back then, she still had a long way to go.

She looked straight at the grey-blue eyes of the ninja before her.

Jiraiya had told her once of his brief conversation with this strange ninja, although he had not gone into specifics, he had told her that he sensed a greater purpose in him, a destiny and underlying nobility under a life full of fear, war, bloody battles and forces even he would hesitate to face.

She made her decision. There was only one way these thoughts were leading her, and she would stand by it to learn. "When do we start?"

The ninja's face was covered by his mask, but she could almost feel the smile under it. "Tonight. I will train you every night for the next two weeks at the lake where you mastered the Ice Mist. After that, it will be up to you to evolve it into its final form."

o.0.o

Shikamaru watched his sister eat breakfast. His father was on a mission and his mother had left for the market earlier, so it was just the two of them in the house.

His mother would have been worried, but would have left the issue to Shikaku. His father would have probably not said anything waiting for Haku to broach the subject.

"Your hands are bandaged." He pointed out.

Haku stopped eating for a moment, then placed the spoon into her mouth and continued.

"And you are tired." Shikamaru continued. "More so than your workload normally tires you."

"It's been a rough week. I have desert survival training later on." Haku said, smiling at him. "And don't you have to get going to the Academy?"

o.0.o

"I see." Tsume said as she trotted right next to her, Kuromaru running easily along and smirking at the struggling Yollotl, who was a member of Teyaotlani's Clan and would step in for Wiglaf for this mission.

Although Yollotl was as dark and imposing as Kuromaru, he was less used to hot climates than Wiglaf, who had been to several missions with Haku and had grown used to the weather changes and thus struggling a bit to keep up. But the fire in his eyes told Haku he would be ready for the time of her mission.

"And so I am worried about a member of the Inuzuka Clan hunting me down... I know I can fool a lot of other clans about my identity but there's no fooling your nose."

Tsume smiled. "Of course there are ways to fool our noses." she grinned and laughed when Haku looked hopeful. "But no, I'm not telling you more than that!"

o.0.o

"I'm telling you, there's something weird going on with Haku." Shikamaru said to Choji that afternoon as the rest of the Nara family started to gather.

"What do you mean?" Choji asked, lowering his voice. It wouldn't do for the Nara family to get into an uproar over their Aneki.

"She has been coming home the last few nights increasingly tired. At first her hands were bandaged, then her forearms all the way to her elbows, then her shins and feet." Shikamaru whispered back.

"Sounds like she has been training herself very hard." Shino commented, startling the both of them.

Shikamaru sighed. So much for a private conversation. "Yes, she has, but I don't know when that is happening. Her training with Anko and Tsume is not demanding in the "let's punch the wall" sense, and the interrogation department is not particularly known for taxing endeavors in combat."

"Oh... I can tell you something then!" Kiba said as he slumped down next to them, Akamaru resting on his head. "Akamaru talked to Wiglaf yesterday and he said that Haku was training hard to master a new fighting style."

Shikamaru's head shot up, eyes wide. "She wouldn't." when he noticed everyone's surprise he looked away. "I cannot really tell you guys all the story but my sister unlocked some very strong techniques."

"How powerful?" Sasuke asked from where he was leaning against the tree.

Shikamaru frowned. He didn't like the decidedly somber attitude Sasuke had taken a month or so ago. Something had happened and the family had been too busy with other things to pay attention to their own. "Very. She was not supposed to learn them."

"Power should always be welcomed." Sasuke said, glancing at everyone around him, including Naruto, who had just arrived with Hinata to join them. "If we want to become as strong as she is right now, or even as strong as the Hokage, we have to train and use the power we can find to make ourselves stronger. No strong ninja out there has ever achieved anything just with what they learn here at the Academy."

He definitely needed to keep an eye on the Uchiha, Shikamaru decided. "Regardless of that, I am worried about her well-being."

"Let her be for now." Shino said as he extended his hand. A small bug jumped onto Shikamaru's shoulder. "This bug will allow us to track her movements. We can investigate the places she has been in tomorrow and see what we can find."

"Hey, why not tonight?!" Naruto piped in.

Shikamaru shook his head. "She is too good, she would easily spot a group of genin-wannabe's trailing her." he looked at Shino with approval. "This way we can find out where she has been when she is busy at work."

"Agreed." Shino said, nodding slightly at Shikamaru. "We shall go there after classes tomorrow."

Everyone nodded.

"Make sure to lose the harem before you join us, Sasuke!" Kiba grinned.

As Hinata blushed and stole a glance at Naruto, Sasuke punched Kiba on the stomach.

Naruto for his part was almost jumping with joy. "I've always wanted to see what type of training Aneki did! I bet I can do it to and become as strong as she is!"

o.0.o

"Okay, I might not want to do the same training." Naruto said subdued.

They were standing on the opposite side of the lake where Shikamaru had helped Haku learn the Ice Mist. The day after he had planted the bug on his sister. The area was littered with fragments of training posts, and many of the pieces had red marks that could only be blood.

Rocks had been smashed to pieces and Shikamaru could follow a trail of footsteps as his sister performed some sort of Kata. It was completely different to her style, each step was done with as much force as possible unlike the smooth steps of her family style.

This was a conundrum and his mind raced through possibilities. Haku would never try to do this training on her own, at least not to this feverish level. That could mean many things... the mission she had coming could be extremely dangerous, for example. He doubted it was, as Sasuke had suggested, "a quest for power" since his sister was anything but power hungry.

Flashback

"These techniques..." Haku shook her head as she read the contents of the cylinder. "They are so destructive in nature!"

Shikamaru took a glance at them after looking at his sister for approval. "Most of these moves are for close combat. A few are useful to get away, but the training you have to do is completely different from what you have done so far, it would be like turning water into fire."

He continued reading. The techniques were mostly designed to break an opponent's body, the style other than the name Ice Dragon Style, was vaguely described, but it seemed to be a very violent way to take apart an enemy making use of ice-style jutsus.

The last few, one of which was the Ice Mist almost made him want to throw up with what they described. "Sis, you cannot do this to anyone. You should give this to the Hokage so he can seal them away."

Haku had looked at him sadly for a while before standing up and rolling the scroll and putting it into the cylinder. "I will report these to the Hokage, Shika." she promised. "But for now it is time to sleep."

Shikamaru had nodded and followed his sister home.

End Flashback

The landscape now showed a different story. Haku had indeed reported her findings to the Hokage, but she had also started training in this different fighting style. It was completely unlike her to do this and all the events pointed to her needing extra training for her upcoming mission.

"So what do we do?" Hinata asked.

"We find Haku and tell her to take it easy!" Naruto shouted.

"Yeah!" Kiba and Akamaru were quick to voice their consent.

"Idiots." Sasuke scoffed. "Look at the effort she is putting into this. She will not quit just because you two loudmouths tell her to."

"What did you say?!" Kiba was on Sasuke's face in an instant, while Naruto clenched his fists.

"You don't really care what happens to her!" Naruto shouted.

"Calm down!" Shikamaru called out. "Sigh. You guys are so troublesome. As much as I hate to admit it, Sasuke is right. She will not quit just because we tell her to, in fact she will be deeply annoyed with all of us for butting in."

As the two loudest members of the Nara Family slowly calmed down, Choji looked worriedly at his best friend. "What do you plan to do, Shika?"

"I can only talk to her and see what she has to say." Shikamaru sighed. "I- We have to trust her. She is after all much more experienced than all of us."

The Nara Family nodded solemnly.

"In the meantime we should all become stronger so that Aneki doesn't need to worry about protecting us when we graduate and can go on missions with her!" Naruto grinned.

As the group started walking away, Shikamaru looked back at the forest. He could almost feel something there... as if someone had been watching them the whole time.

Fighting back a shiver he hurried to catch up with the others.

o.0.o

Haku dropped back, breathing hard, her arms and legs on fire from the extreme workout she had gone through followed by a very violent sparring session. She looked in awe at the ninja, who had to be on the level of Jiraiya and other masters to not even show a slight change in breathing.

"This is the last lesson." the ninja said. "Unlike your family style, the Ice Dragon Style incorporates Ice differently. It is not subtle. It is not nice and although flashy in comparison with your silent and deadly skills, it is no less effective. What I have taught you is a manner of fighting that is not intended for assassination or even for subduing your opponents. This is a killing art. When you use Ice, you use it to freeze your enemy to the point where you can destroy them afterwards. I have taught you how to use your body more effectively in these brutal combat techniques. When you freeze someone even for a few seconds you will step in and demolish them. They will be defenseless."

Haku nodded.

"Master if I could ask you something?"

The ninja looked at her for a moment in silence before nodding. Because he wouldn't reveal a name, Haku had decided to call him master, since for all intents and purposes he was teaching her a martial art.

"Are we related?"

The ninja chuckled, then started laughing. Haku had always known that the ninja was cold... unnaturaly so, but seeing him laughing made him appear so human. His eyes lost some of the hardness and wariness, and what remained of his scar almost disappeared. He looked almost gentle.

"I can see why you would think that, Haku." he said, and she blinked in surprise. He had always avoided calling her directly by name. "And I would be honored to be related to you, but sadly, other than being your martial arts master, I am not."

Haku sighed. "I just figured..."

"That I would have your same bloodline because I can use Ice so proficiently?"

Haku nodded.

"There are those who can use many more elements with amazing ability without even having a bloodline." the ninja said. "My skills are concentrated on this, but I have met people that can imitate them and many others with considerable skill... the lesson here is never to underestimate an opponent." the ninja chuckled again. "I know how frustrating it might seem to you to have no other members of your bloodline about, but you do have a family, and an extensive one at that! Earlier today they arrived here to investigate your wounds."

Haku looked up at that, alarmed. "What? How?"

The ninja snorted. My guess would be the bug-boy is somehow responsible since they were following him."

Haku slid a hand down her face in frustration. "Figures."

The ninja shook his head. "Don't worry, they don't understand, but they trust you. You are lucky to have a family such as Konoha has provided for you." he seemed to be smiling under his mask. "They intend to be stronger for you."

Haku smiled. "I am glad they do and I am grateful for Konoha... but I will miss you."

The ninja chuckled. "I have a gift for you." he said, passing her a small bundle.

She unfolded the cloth to reveal two arm protectors made of black metal with silver dragons on them. "Are these..."

The ninja showed her his own. "A mark of being my apprentice. They are made from the same metal the cylinder with my techniques is made of. They are very resilient and will withstand amazing force."

Haku was so moved she didn't say anything for several minutes. She looked up at him. "Thank you. I will treasure them all my life."

The ninja nodded, and looked up. Following his gaze, Haku was surprised to notice that it had started snowing.

"My time here is over." he said. "But I will do one more thing for you, if I can. I will let another master know of you. He might not say anything, or even visit, but he will somehow keep an eye on you."

Haku swallowed a lump in her throat. There was so much she didn't know about him... and somehow he reminded her of Zabuza-sama, just a little.

The wind picked up and the snow obscured her vision for a moment. Then, as the wind settled and the snow fell once again slowly, he was gone.

"Goodbye, master." Haku said, bowing.

**End Chapter 14**

**Next Chapter:** Garaa vs The Mist in the Leaves!

_Author's note:_ I decided to write down a bit of my ideas about the story to clear things up a bit, I hope you guys enjoy the following!

The Mist in the Leaves: The writing process

Part 1

By Wanderer D

Why did I start writing the Mist in the Leaves is a question that comes to mind whenever I sit down to write a chapter of the story. And the answer is, I want to explore Haku's life through the second chance she gets in the story. My intention is not for it to cover the daily workings of the Naruto Universe and replace all chapters/episodes of the original story with mine.

I decided early on that Haku would be female for this story. The reasoning behind the male/female Haku was because the way Haku acts in the manga is very feminine. A lot of people like to say in their fics "look at the adam's apple" but lets face it, neither in the Anime nor the Manga can you actually see it. I know. I checked.

Another important thing is that unlike Naruto, Sasuke, or any of the rookie 9, his sex was not really important to the story. Haku could have been a guy pretending to be a girl, or a girl pretending to be a guy, in the end, regardless of that, Haku's story served its purpose to build up Naruto's character.

So, if she was a girl the story would have happened exactly the same way as if he was a guy. A minor and inconsequential change in the Canon series, in turn, becomes important in a Fanfic because as the main character and interacting with the main characters of the story from an early age, she becomes important to them and how they grow and develop as persons and ninjas.

The story focus is on Haku and her experiences as a result of her soul being sent back in time. As such I created a long list of ideas and random possibilities to play with along the story. I wanted Konoha to be sympathetic to her, and the best way was for her to train with Jiraiya and be introduced to the ninja village by him.

Although being trained by Jiraiya seems a bit pretentious I tried to make it clear that he was polishing what she already knew and helping her develop her family style more than teaching her as he would later teach Naruto. For example, he never taught her the Rasengan, but thought of her as close enough to give a copy of his book to.

To my mind, Jiraiya would see her as an excellent addition to Konoha once he had heard her story. He would hope that she would learn to love Konoha and be as loyal to the village as she was to Zabuza before. It also worked in his benefit to add another, if smaller, network of spies to his own.

Zabuza was part of an attempt to bring down the Mizukage, and for a military unit such as ninja are in the Naruto Universe (from here on known as "Narutoverse") moving without information for an enterprise of such importance would have been unthinkable.

My thoughts on this is that if Zabuza (and Haku) kept being missing nin for a while and spent some of that time as mercenaries and bounty hunters, they would have a network of their own. Working on the basis that Haku would have been extremely familiar with the workings of that network, its members, locations, etc., she would be able to identify them and even contact some of them to somewhat add them to Jiraiya's network.

Being trained by Chunin and Jonin before even getting into the academy served several hidden purposes. Not only did it establish a plausible link between Kurenai and Naruto (something I had planned to happen) but also to Itachi and others. I will explain what each taught her in a bit, but for now lets start with why the Sandaime Hokage would allow this.

The Hokage is the maximum leader of the village, but he is also their protector. He has the authority to simply say "do this" regardless of the Council's opinion. Although the council is a mostly-fan-made entity, I think that the characters are a useful plot device. In my view of things, Sarutobi is playing politics all the time, and although the council doesn't hold power over HIM, they do represent the political interests of powerful individuals. So, he would have to bend a little to get them for other things later.

But I digress. The Hokage is presented with the last owner of a powerful bloodline, who despite still being an infant is strong enough to kill a person, has knowledge way beyond her years, has "trained" with a legendary ninja if only for a short time and impressed said ninja enough for him to want her in a key position in a few years time when she is deemed ready, not to mention she is a relative of yet another legendary ninja. The fact that both legendary ninja were his students also affects a bit his perception of things.

Now, the Sandaime may not be Danzo, but he is the leader of a military village (so to speak) of ninjas. Abilities such as that should not be wasted. If she was strong and smart enough at that age, how far could she go? In a village that loves bloodlines and ninja geniuses, training her from an early age would catch the eye of several powerful individuals that would have an interest in gaining her favor for the future.

In a purely mercenary way of thinking, he had a new shiny weapon and three ways of using it: letting it be and maybe becoming as strong as he wanted; letting it be taken away from him by someone else to use (Danzo, Akatsuki, Orochimaru); or forging it into the strongest weapon loyal to him and his village he could make.

I think given the fact that the man is not an idiot the choice is easy to make. So, who did he chose to train her? Our famous Jonin of the future. I decided that she should train with them a couple of weeks to a month at the most. They would then report her progress to the Hokage. Creating links for her to attach to, and asserting various role-models, the Hokage would ensure her loyalty to Konoha.

The first step to this was to get her a family. Knowing that the Nara Clan had been willing to adopt Naruto (if not for the protest of several politically powerful individuals) he chose them because Shikaku is a known expert in tactics and logistics. Key abilities for someone that would later on become Jiraiya's link to the village.

Kurenai would be ideal to gouge her level in Genjutsu and train her a bit more. Since we never truly saw Haku use Genjutsu, my assumption is that she was not too good at it (and Zabuza also wasn't so good at it to begin with, much less good enough to train her) My intention in that was to give her a bit more to work with, but not to turn her into an expert.

Itachi was a bit of a controversial choice, but there are several aspects of him I wanted and want to explore. To begin with, we all know how he killed most of the Uchiha clan. But those of us that read the manga also know the real reason behind the event. Itachi is a very interesting character, who I tied to Haku through the training he did with her. Although like Kurenai he is a natural Genjutsu expert, he is a master of all the ninja arts and as such a perfect example of what Haku should strive to be: a well rounded warrior.

I imagine Gai might have given her some tips for training (although the weight trick is something I will not use on her) but given that she is really young he wouldn't have done more than supervise her exercises from time to time. All in all Gai is someone she knows but never truly trained with.

Kakashi was the most interesting choice though, because he is her main Konoha influence, although it is not so obvious through the story itself. He is the one that defeated Zabuza, and Naruto's future sensei. He is the main reason she became part of ANBU, her assassination skills were already above average when she fought Naruto and Co. in the bridge, but under his training she became a true assassin. Working in that area would have put her in contact with Anko.

At that point (even before the ANBU gig) Haku would have known much more than any Academy Student. A fact that Sarutobi was well aware of and which he knew she was aware of too. Taking some extra classes with Kabuto's father in the hospital would have made her a much more effective assassin. And working for Ibiki was the best way for her to start separating Haku from her alternate persona: the "Mist in the Leaves" in the eyes of Konoha, a key step for her future in my story. Ibiki's mentoring in interrogation skills, along with what she had already learned from Zabuza would make her extremely effective in her role as a "free" agent.

This then brought me to the others. The Rookie Nine as they are called are of course extremely influential in the story and more so after they graduate and pass the exams. Although Haku is much more mature than any of them, she was sent back into the body of a child. Conflicting feelings and age issues and the fact that she respects Naruto so much made her insist on getting into the Academy, although it wasn't meant to last. This however allowed me to create the "Nara Family" I thought the idea of the majority of the group calling her "Big Sister" in the Yakuza style was priceless and would set a tone for their relationship early enough for it to be believable in the future.

Her interactions with the characters would affect how they would graduate, act and fight in the future. Having a group of friends a bit earlier, Naruto for example, would get a bit more help and practice, he wouldn't stop being his slacking-off, prankster self, but it would alienate him less from others.

The teams might change a bit thanks to this, but I think more in their internal dynamics than in the teammates selection. I think overall, all of the Rookie Nine are stronger at this point than they were in the original story, but for them to catch up to Haku... they will need time and lots of training and experience, she is closer to Kakashi than she is to them in fighting ability. (But not quite there yet.)

The turning point in the story will be the mission to Wave, which will happen soon, but for now we are building a character we can both believe in in the future and who will change the Narutoverse forever!

End Part 1


	15. Chapter 15: Haku vs Gaara

Mist and Leaves

by Wanderer D

**Chapter 15**

It was early morning. Mist crept through the woods outside the gates of Konoha, not ready to dissipate yet even as the sun slowly illuminated the sky and warmed the morning. This was a cold start for the winter in Konoha, and while most of the population remained snug in their warm beds, several individuals were already hard at work.

"Come on Lee! Neji! Tenten! The fires of youth have to be kindled every morning!" Gai shouted trotting in front of his team.

"Hai! Gai-sensei!" Lee shouted enthusiastically in response as Tenten and Neji followed him at a less strenuous speed.

Gai grinned to himself. Lee was turning out to be a formidable student and ninja, and the teamwork with Neji and Tenten had improved considerably in the last few months. They had missed the last Chunin exam day, but next year he would definitely name them as candidates.

As they were nearing the main gate for the third time, he noticed a young boy waiting next to the guards, but paid no mind until Lee called from behind.

"Gai-sensei! Wait a moment please!"

Gai slowed down, as it was almost unheard of from Lee to ask for any sort of pause while training. As Neji and Tenten slowed to a gasping halt next to him, Lee ran towards the gate to engage the young man there in conversation. A bit curious he led his other two students towards the pair.

"Ah! Shikamaru!" Lee greeted as he stopped in front of his younger friend. "What brings you out in this youthful morning? Did you decide to start training yourself?"

Shikamaru looked at him, first without recognition, then with slow realization of who was talking to him. "Lee? What happened to you? Did you lose some sort of bet and had to dress up in..." he trailed off when he saw the Jonin walking towards them with a similar outfit. "Never mind."

Tenten looked at the younger man with an amused expression, while Neji, Shikamaru noted, just looked away in a slightly embarrassed way.

"Is this one of your friends, Lee?" Gai asked.

"Yes sensei, this is Aneki's younger brother, Shikamaru."

"Aneki?" Tenten and Gai asked confused.

A soft cough came from Neji. "He means Haku Nara, sensei."

Gai's eyes lit up. "Ah! Of course, Haku! It is nice to meet you Nara Shikamaru. If you are not training, why would you be waiting here? Academy students are not allowed to go on missions."

Shikamaru sighed. How troublesome. "I... came here to wish her good luck." he finally said. "She is going on a very dangerous mission and..."

"Gai-sensei!" Lee interrupted. "We cannot let Aneki go alone to such a dangerous mission!"

Tenten looked confused, and turned to ask Neji what he thought, only to see him nod in agreement with Lee. Who was this Haku person?

Gai sighed. "I am sorry Lee, but we can't. Haku has been going on dangerous missions even before you graduated. I am sure that if she needs backup she will already have it."

"But isn't part of Konoha's policy to aid our own in their time of need?" Neji asked startling everyone around him.

Gai smiled a bit and was about to answer when Haku walked up to them. "Shikamaru? What are you doing here? Gai? Lee? Neji?"

Tenten analyzed Haku. She was surprisingly young, probably their age or a year more at the most, she was carrying a backpack, probably with weapons and provisions. From the size of it Haku was going on a long mission since it was not advisable for ninjas to carry too much equipment unless it was absolutely necessary.

"It's been a long time Haku!" Gai said smiling. "I hear you are going on a mission?"

Haku stole a glance at Shikamaru, who shifted a bit. "That's right, it's classified though..."

Gai nodded sagely. "I was just assuring young Shikamaru here that if you needed any backup we would be glad to provided it!"

Haku smiled and nodded. "Thank you Gai, I will make sure to ask for your help if it is needed."

"Well then, we have to continue training." Gai said, earning a groan from Tenten and Neji. "We shall see you on your return!"

As he trotted away, she watched Lee wave at her, Neji give her a courteous nod and Tenten walk past looking at her with a frown as they ran out of sight. She turned to look at Shikamaru. "Come to say goodbye?"

Shikamaru still seemed a bit embarrassed about the situation, but nodded, giving her a scroll.

Haku blinked and took it. "What is it?"

Shikamaru, who had gathered his wits after shaking his head, shrugged. "Something to help you out on your trip to Suna."

Haku stared at her younger brother for a moment. "We are having a serious talk when we get back, Shika." she said so seriously that he gulped. When she smiled again and hugged him he started breathing again. "But for now... thank you, bro."

Shikamaru watched as his sister started trotting into the forest. The sun was still too low to brighten the road for her, but he could almost believe that the faint mist was welcoming her into it.

o.0.o

Haku trotted for a few hours on the road, keeping the steady pace that ninjas were taught since their academy years before making sure that she was not being followed. She then slipped into the forest where she hid in a small cave she had found before on an excursion exercise with Wiglaf.

Covering the entrance with rocks, she cast a minor jutsu to make them seem one solid part of a larger rock. It would not escape minute analysis, but it would certainly be passed over by most ninja.

She carefully laid out the equipment she had packed and started changing into her Mist in the Leaves persona, taking a moment to look at the scroll Shikamaru had given her, before slipping it into a scroll bag.

She had worked a bit around her new arm protectors design, working more black and silver into her getup. Ibiki had arched an eyebrow at that, but nodded and agreed when she had told him it would be even a more foreign design than before, giving the Mist in the Leaves' origin a greater mystery.

She reviewed the mission parameters. She was going to meet with a ninja named Baki in the border of Wind and Fire countries and he would give her the full mission details.

She had more than enough time to get there, but being there early might give her more information than arriving on time, so she quickly packed up and emerged from her hideout.

The Mist in the Leaves started jumping from tree branch to tree branch in the direction of Sunagakure.

o.0.o

Baki waited patiently while next to him Temari and Kankuro shifted uncomfortably. The time for the meeting was drawing closer and his two charges were becoming nervous. It was something that he would need to push in their training- after all, a hasty ninja was a dead ninja, and the Kazekage's children would not die because of lack of training!

Thinking on the Kazekage made him look down at the scroll he had in his hands. The mission was not to his liking and he knew that the two genin with him would like it even less if they knew what it contained.

"Where the hell is he?!" Kankuro suddenly spoke, breaking Baki's train of thought. "It's almost time, and yet no sign of this Mist in the Leaves."

"Calm down, Kankuro." Temari cautioned, looking up at him. "I am also unhappy about being here, but complaining will get us no-where."

Baki sighed. It was almost embarrassing. "Fine, fine." he shook his head. "You can come out now, I guess we can speed up the proceedings for a couple of minutes more."

Both genin looked at him confused for a moment, then stared incredulous as a masked ninja landed just in front of them.

Temari jumped back, ready for action, while Kankuro quickly joined her.

Baki laughed a bit, smiling ruefully at the Mist in the Leaves. "Genin trainees. You know how it is."

Haku shrugged. "Understandable."

Baki nodded, thankful that this ninja would not poke fun at them. He had noticed the Mist in the Leaves presence roughly half an hour before, but they had been there for at least four already. The kid was really good at hiding, a testament to his skills as an assassin.

"Here is the mission." he said, tossing the scroll to the assassin.

Haku quickly read the contents then looked up. "This Megane person, will he be heavily guarded?"

Baki nodded. "He will have bodyguards. I must warn you though, that all of them are terribly loyal to him and he has one that will not stop until either you or him are dead. The contract calls for you to kill any witnesses, and that includes the bodyguards."

Haku nodded. "I have no qualms about dealing a killing blow to the bodyguards if they are so insistent."

Haku noticed that Baki seemed a bit hesitant, but just then Kankuro spoke up. "Why do we need to hire him? He's no older than us!"

Baki hung his head in defeat as both he and the Mist in the Leaves looked at Kankuro. "Idiot!" he finally snapped. "If you are so good and prepared for such a mission, how come you didn't notice that the Mist in the Leaves has been here all along since we arrived?"

Kankuro was taken aback, but Temari seemed to be concentrating on something else, so Baki let her be.

"Will there be any more questions?"

"None. I will require half the pay in advance as we agreed." Haku answered smoothly.

Baki nodded and tossed a bag at her, clinking with money.

Without even looking at it, Haku nodded and jumped away.

"Okay you two, come on, it's time to head back, you're getting extra training tomorrow."

Kankuro groaned, and Temari nodded. As they walked away, she looked back towards the forest where the Mist in the Leaves had disappeared into. For a moment she paused, then followed Baki.

o.0.o

"Where is the Mist in the Leaves from, sensei?" Kankuro asked after they had been running for a few minutes. "I've never seen clothes or gear like that."

Baki shrugged. "Why don't you two guess?"

Temari sighed. "From the name one can assume that he is originally from either Mist or Konoha, as the head-protector would also suggest."

"But the clothes are too foreign... it could be that he belongs to a mercenary team of some sort, a private army or that he truly is a foreigner." Kankuro shot back.

Temari shrugged and looked at her brother. "All of his methods scream "misdirection" and it is very effective..." she trailed off, again seemingly distracted. "I guess we could double check with the Bingo Book to see if either villages have missing nin that fit his profile."

"I have read all the Bingo entries for Mist and Konoha and found no ninja described there that would fit in skills or age group as with the Mist in the Leaves." Baki interrupted. "I had heard that he had a big dog with him, so I thought of the Inuzuka clan, but having finally met him face to face... he doesn't have any of their natural feral quirks, and the speech pattern is different..."

Both siblings remained silent for a moment. "I guess the only way to really find out is to fight him and force him to reveal some of his training." Temari surmised.

Baki smiled. " It is possible, although I expect it to be a tough fight. Rumor has it that even the Demon of the Mist has a healthy respect for the Mist in the Leaves. Another way is through observation, which would be a more useful way of avoiding possible harm. Studying the site of one of his fights is another way of deducing his abilities."

Kankuro remained silent for just a moment. "I hope Gaara is not home tonight... it would be nice to have dinner without having to worry about being crushed to a pulp just because I asked him to pass the salt!"

o.0.o

Haku's senses had been trained further than the hands-on training that Zabuza-sama had originally done so by the Konoha crew. Even without Yollotl's whispered warning she could already smell the blood as she approached the site of Megane's original camp.

"I don't like this." Yollotl said after a moment of sniffing around. "There has been a lot of killing in this area. At least three different individuals have been killed... the amount of blood is as if they exploded or were crushed." The wolf walked around the areas where the blood had tainted the ground red.

"I don't see any bodies." Haku said from her hideout. "Did they bury them? There are no charred remains, and we would have noticed the smoke from a funeral pyre of some sort."

Yollotl sniffed around more and then started scratching the ground with his paws, after a while of digging his muzzle buried underground and he pulled out a piece of cloth. Haku walked into the clearing and looked around. "The killing was done in such a haphazard way that it is unlikely they buried them afterwards." she said, picking up the cloth carefully. "The material seems similar to the one the Suna ninjas were using for their clothes, so it is likely this belongs to one of Megane's bodyguards."

"Mist... there's more here." the winter wolf called.

She turned it around and looked down at the hole Yollotl had dug. She gasped and took a step back. "They were crushed." she shook her head and knelt next to the wolf, looking in. "The bones broke as a result of the pressure, breaking through all the internal organs and the skin. It's like pressing a grapefruit between your fingers."

The masked ninja reached inside and pulled out a pouch. Everything inside was completely crushed, including the weapons.

"What do you think?" Yollotl asked, bewildered as they walked away, following the trail the campers had left behind.

"I think that either Suna nin don't take good care of their equipment or the sand I found in the weapon's pouch had something to do with it, but what, I don't know."

o.0.o

Megane was nothing less than a patriot. A devoted follower of Sunagakure's interests. True, he had amassed a lot of money, and resources and commanded the loyalty of several influential individuals, but his main interest always laid in the future of his town.

That the Kazekage didn't like him was well known. And sending his demon son to "protect" him on his meeting with his Konoha contacts was just a good way to prove it.

He glanced nervously at Gaara, wondering if the jinchūriki could somehow read his mind. He sighed. Danzo didn't have to deal with this shit.

That was another sore spot in his life. Danzo was gathering his forces already, preparing for the future and amassing an army of allies and specially trained ninja. And where was he? Taking a roadtrip to meet with the bastard while being babysat by the Kazekage's son. This would look bad. He was already late for the meeting and he had the feeling Gaara would not hesitate to kill him if he had sensed any treachery from him... just like he had killed four of his men already.

It made him wonder if the Kazekage knew of his underhanded dealings with Konoha.

He stole another glance at Gaara and gulped dreading that his estimate of the jinchūriki's mind-reading abilities had been true. "W-why are you smiling, Gaara?"

Gaara's smile didn't leave his face as he turned to look at him, the deranged look making his blood run cold. "Mother says that an interesting person is here."

o.0.o

The camp had been set very close to the border between wind and fire countries, but still in the desert area of Wind. The ninja had taken some time to find a more secure location, surrounded by large boulders that would keep the campfire from being seen and hard solid stone where they could set up the tents.

It had been set up as far away from the desert sand as they could get without breaching into Fire country.

Haku noticed that the guards on watch were keeping more of an eye on the big tent they were guarding than on their surroundings. Which was odd, them being trained ninja, but good for her since she could take advantage of that to achieve her mission.

Making a signal to Yollotl, who nodded and crept away, she concentrated on the guard closest to her. She had been observing for a bit and knew that other than the three outside, there were two more in the tent along with Megane and whoever the last bodyguard was.

Nodding to herself she silently made her way towards the distracted guard.

o.0.o

"W-what do you mean?" Megane asked, looking wildly around. "Is there someone close to the camp? Is he dangerous?"

Gaara's grin became bigger. "Mother can smell blood." he turned towards the entrance. "The guards are dead." he smirked. "You did a good job of tearing them apart." he said turning to look back at Megane.

The merchant shook his head. "What..." he stopped when he felt the cold blade of a kunai pressing against his neck. Where had the ninja come from?!

"Make any move and I kill him." Haku said, keeping her eyes on the youngster in front of her.

Gaara's smile had disappeared and he watched them both showing little interest. What worried Megane the most was that, if anything Gaara looked slightly displeased.

"Are you saying that if he remains alive we won't have to fight?" the young Suna nin asked.

Haku nodded.

"Mist! Get out of there!" a voice suddenly shouted. Megane looked confused at the dog or wolf that had just shouted. He didn't even feel that the kunai had been removed from his neck before his whole world went black.

Yollotl watched in horrified fascination as a cocoon of sand enveloped both Haku and Megane and compressed, splattering blood on the walls and floor. The boy that controlled it turned to look in his direction and the wolf almost jumped when he heard Haku's voice next to him.

"Thanks for the warning! He almost had me." the Mist in the Leaves said, standing next to the wolf. Yollotl could see the remains of an ice mirror slowly melting into the floor.

"Why did you kill him? You were supposed to be his bodyguard!" Haku asked.

"I only care for myself. I don't care about other and they will never care about me. Are you here to prove my existence?" Gaara asked, forwning.

"This guy's a wacko, Mist." Yollotl growled. "Let's just leave."

"Shut up!" Gaara shouted, and a spear of sand pierced the place where the wolf had been standing a second before. "I'll kill you both and feed mother."

Haku stepped back. "Yollotl, you'd better go, I don't know how to fight this guy yet without getting the both of us killed."

"I can't leave you!" the wolf whispered. "Wiglaf would kill me!"

Haku almost smiled behind her mask. "Well then, let's take this outside!" she shouted throwing a kunai straight at Gaara.

The metal blade was caught in the air by the sand and crushed. Gaara then noticed a small paper slip falling to the ground.

The explosion sent the wolf and Haku flying out. They had ran immediately when Haku had thrown it, but the force of the explosion was enough to knock them off their feet. Haku immediately rolled and stood, turning to face the remains of the tent.

In the middle a small sphere of sand floated. It opened up to reveal an unharmed Gaara. "I will kill you." the sand ninja stated.

A wave of sand was suddenly rushing at Haku and Yollotl, who jumped in different directions, only for the wave to crash where they were and split into two smaller ones chasing them both.

Running up a large rock that shuddered as the sand collided with it, Haku started flying through one hand signs at the same time she threw a kunai at Gaara's head.

The kunai was batted out of the way, the sand not even bothering to crush it like last time, but it was enough a distraction for Haku to finish. Jumping up and away from the rock, she completed her jutsu. "Sensatsu Suishō!"

Gaara's eyes opened wide as a veritable cloud of ice senbon sped towards him. His sand abandoned the chase after Yollotl to cover him as best it could.

The needles cracked against the solid sand defense, but Haku could see the sand was not fast enough to cover him completely. Several senbon needles pierced him where he stood, although none seemed to have done much damage.

Haku stood stupefied as chunks of compressed sand fell from Gaara's skin along with the needles, proving that none had gone through.

"Suna no Yoroi." Gaara stated. In an instant, a spear made of sand pierced Haku's heart... only for Haku to disappear and the sand to freeze solid.

Gaara frowned and looked around at all the large rocks around him. "I know you are still here." he called out, another snake of sand breaking the frozen one into pieces. Slowly the ice melted as the grains moved and created friction. "I will kill you."

Behind one boulder Haku breathed hard. Next to her, Yollotl panted. "What are we going to do?" the wolf whispered.

Haku shook her head. "I don't know." She could hear Gaara getting impatient as he destroyed a rock on the other side of the field. "The air here is not as dry as in the desert so I can use some skills but... it still has me at a disadvantage, I have a plan, but I don't know if I can pull it off without some ice."

Yollotl snorted. "You need a bit of cold and water, right? I cannot produce both of those in enough quantities yet, but... if I remained outside of the battle I could invoke the cold of the Wendigo, which would help you gather some water... would that help you?

Haku nodded. "That would open many more possibilities for me."

Yollotl nodded and started concentrating as Haku ran a half circle around the perimeter. She could feel the wind chilling down and a bit more humidity to the air. Creating to quick ice-clones, she sent them ahead.

Gaara was about to spread his sand around to fish out the annoying ninja when two clones came running at him from different directions, each wielding a kunai.

Gaara growled and sent sand spears at them, which the clones dodged. As they got closer he got more angry, and with a snarl thousands of spears suddenly sprouted towards both clones, destroying them immediately and getting his sand frozen in the process.

"I'm going to kill you! I'll drag your insides out for mother to eat under the moonlight!" he shouted, looking up and around. What he saw stopped him in his tracks, even as his sand shook off the ice.

All around him and above him were several large mirrors, and in all of them he could see the damned masked ninja.

Inside her mirror, Haku took a deep breath. "It's time to end this!" she shouted.

Gaara's sand was fast, but the thousand images flying past him were faster. He started panicking when he felt small amounts of sand suddenly being cut faster and faster. Having already used his armor of sand, he did not want to build one up again. The attack wasn't making much damage yet though, and his sand had stopped just about every senbon sent in his direction.

"Suna no tama!" immediately the sand gathered around him in a thick layer and a large eye made of sand appeared in the middle. Gaara laughed loudly as the senbons bounced harmlessly against his protective shield.

From within, he commanded the sand to spear through each mirror, and was delighted when each was destroyed in turn until only two remained. Confident, he let the Sphere of Sand fall around him as the last two mirrors were destroyed, and the masked ninja appeared in front of him, clearly cowed.

"Now I feed you to mother!"

"Not quite yet!" the masked ninja shouted running towards him, making once handed signs again. Gaara braced himself, but then something caught his eye.

Just in front of him, pinned open by four senbon was a scroll of some sort. Looking up he stared as the masked ninja planted a foot firmly on it. "Suiton: Sui nohara!" Haku shouted. As the water exploded around them, Gaara's sand packed into another Armor of Sand at the same time his spears of sand rushed at the ninja.

The ninja jumped back, clearing the water and the spears, which went straight through a replica of him made out completely of ice. In an instant, his sand and body were completely surrounded in a thick layer of ice.

He looked confused for a second until he heard the ninja shout an answer to his bewilderment.

"Ice-mist clone technique!" the mysterious ninja shouted as she pulled a kunai free and rushed towards him. Gaara tried to struggle, but the sand was completely frozen. He could feel the cold seeping through and burning his skin even through the Armor of Sand. He couldn't move or concentrate even as the possibilities of calling his demonic chakra came to mind. The sand was frozen solid, it couldn't even move to create friction. It was too late. He stared wide eyed as the ninja came closer, ready to kill him and screamed.

"Kamaitachi no Jutsu!"

Haku was barely able to jump out of the way of the unexpected attack. She rolled and stood up, watching warily as the female Genin she had seen earlier stepped into the circle of rocks. "I won't let you kill him!"

Haku shook her head when she saw Yollotl ready to attack. "Why are you interrupting my mission?"

Temari circled to the side until she was standing in front of the encased Gaara. She was afraid. Very afraid. This ninja had bested Gaara in combat and had a reputation to back him up. After hearing the name "Megane" she had confirmed with Kankuro that it was the name of the man Gaara was supposed to guard. She had then looked up references for the Mist in the Leaves. It looked like this ninja was even better at close combat than they had been lead to believe. She had no doubt, if the Mist in the Leaves chose to kill her, he wouldn't have any trouble in doing so.

"You don't need to kill him!" Temari said.

Haku hesitated. She knew that the damned sand brat would get free of the ice sooner rather than later. She had used Shikamaru's scroll for this one gambit and was lucky to be alive in the first place.

"He's the bloodthirsty bodyguard of Megane, precisely the two I was paid to eliminate." Haku said. "Get out of the way or I will have to kill you too."

"That wouldn't be wise, considering who she is." another voice said.

"Kankuro!" the female ninja shouted, and Haku recognized the obnoxious genin from earlier. "What are you doing here?"

Kankuro shrugged. "I couldn't allow my siblings to get killed right?" he jumped to land in front of the encased Gaara. "Now I know that you could kill us both, Mist in the Leaves, but I'm thinking we are skilled enough to give Gaara enough time to break free and kill you."

"We'll see." Haku growled, sliding into a strange stance neither of the siblings had ever seen before.

"That will be enough!" a new voice said.

"This is getting ridiculous." Yollotl growled. "Is the whole of Suna going to come and try to stop us?"

Haku looked at the latest arrival. "You are the one that payed me for this, yet when I am about to finish the job, you let your students interrupt me."

Baki sighed and glared at Temari and Kankuro. "We didn't know that Gaara was Megane's infamous bodyguard." he said, startling both genin. "Otherwise we would have asked you to simply get rid of Megane."

_It's a lie. _Haku thought. "So what now?"

"Unless you want to kill the children of the Kazekage," Baki stated, "and start a personal hunt for your skin from all Suna nin, you can consider the mission accomplished." he threw another bag at Haku's feet. "Take the money and leave. We will handle the rest."

"Mist..." Yollotl shook his head.

"It's okay. It's better this way." Haku said, picking up the bag. "I would have had nightmares if I had had to kill such a scared boy in cold blood."

This statement seemed to shake Temari out of her daze. "You will leave Gaara alone?"

Haku considered. "Tell me why you want him to live. He's merciless, he kills everyone around him."

Kankuro looked away, but Temari held her ground. "He's my brother."

Haku walked past them, both of them tensing for a moment as the assassin and the wolf walked right next to them. Haku stopped next to the frightened Gaara and spoke. "Treasure those around you. Tonight you only live because of your family's love."

Gaara remained quiet and wild eyed as the ninja walked away.

**End Chapter 15**

Thanks everyone for the comments! Please keep posting reviews! I love to receive them and read them! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, see you soon for the next one!

-WD


	16. Chapter 16

Mist and Leaves

by Wanderer D

**Chapter 16**

Yollotl followed Haku in silence until they were well within the Fire Country's borders. When Haku finally stopped and sat down with a sigh, back resting against a trunk, he laid down next to her.

"Are you okay, Haku?" Yollotl asked finally.

Haku remained silent for a whole minute. "It was close, Yollotl." she said. "I somehow managed to come out unscathed, but it was really close. If my plan hadn't caught him by surprise..." she shuddered. "I never went to Suna before, I never expected the desert to be so... dry." she glared at the wolf as it snickered. "Laugh if you want, but it's the truth. It's one thing to know it is dry, another altogether to experience it. It cut in half the strength of most of my ice jutsu."

Shaking his head the wolf glance at her. "So, why didn't you use any of your Nara-clan specialties?"

Haku sighed. "If I had, it would have been too obvious that I came from Konoha." she looked up, making a few stars in the sky in between the several tree branches. "I guess if it came down to my life or revealing my identity I will use all of my abilities and secret identity be damned, but in the meantime it is better to remain as two different people."

Yollotl nodded and yawned. "I guess that is your decision." he stood up. "If you want to throw them off then learn something they would never expect an air/water-specialist to know."

Haku chuckled for a bit as she stood. "You know, that is not such a bad idea. But for now, I first need to talk to Shikamaru."

o.0.o

"I knew you were going to Suna because of all the desert related training you were doing." Shikamaru answered, looking at the distant clouds. "It would have been... troublesome... if you had been at a disadvantage with no water around, so I took one of father's scrolls."

Haku sighed. That was the problem with having a really smart brother. He would know what you were up to just by picking small information up. "That scroll was really useful, Shikamaru, thank you."

Shikamaru shrugged. "What did you do in Suna?"

Haku looked away for a moment. "Have you told anyone I went there?"

Shikamaru closed his eyes and shook his head. "You told that Jonin, Gai, that it was sensitive information..."

Haku smiled. "Thanks bro. I need to speak to dad about that scroll now..."

Suddenly Shikamaru looked worried. "Do you really have to?"

Haku smirked down at her brother. "You didn't tell him you borrowed it, did you?"

Shikamaru just gulped. "Do you need to tell them?"

Haku nodded, and Shikamaru noticed that she wasn't smiling. "It was close, Shikamaru. If I can do something about it so I won't have to worry about the same situation happening again, I will."

The academy student nodded. "Always be prepared, huh?"

Haku ruffled his hair. "As much as you can be."

o.0.o

The "Nara Family" was close to graduation. Within a month, they would have finished their last year of training and become Genin.

All of them had grown stronger together. Their overall knowledge had skyrocketed due to the simple fact that, unless it came from Iruka, everything they were told they had to double, sometimes triple check before it could be considered as true education.

Constant sparring had given Naruto a more solid base for his hand-to-hand skills, copying Sakura's notes and studying them under the watchful eye of Hinata, Ino and Sakura also forced him to really take the lessons in, and Kurenai's extra-curricular coaching had helped him pass just about every exam with at least average grades.

None of them could help with three things though, and that was his constant pranking, the fact that information alone (meaning no immediate application) was too boring for him and finally...

"You still cannot do the clone?" Ino asked exasperated. It was one of the few times she and Sakura had stayed with the Nara Family after school. Although both of them were still acting like idiots around Sasuke, both girls had realized that it simply annoyed everyone too much to constantly be after him, especially when they were trying to relax.

"Naruto..." Sakura shook her head. "What the hell is wrong with you? It is one of the most simple techniques! Iruka sensei said it would probably be on the last test, and when he uses "probably" it pretty much means it will be on it!"

"I know, I know!" Naruto groaned. "I just can't seem to get it right! I've done every single step perfectly, but every time I try... look!"

Naruto tried to duplicate himself, but the half dead-looking version of himself only got the result of the girls screaming in fright and Akamaru to start barking at it.

"Man, that's amazing!" Kiba laughed and even Sasuke smirked at that.

"But still, it doesn't make sense." Shino interrupted. "I've been observing Naruto, and he has done everything right so far."

"Face it dobe, you are just incompetent." Sasuke said.

"Shut up emo-brat!" Naruto shouted back. "I can do all other exercises it is just this one that doesn't work!"

"Maybe you are not eating right?" Choji asked munching down a sandwich. "My dad says that if you don't eat-"

"He's been eating okay." Kiba interrupted. "He stayed at my place for a few days and ate more than enough to feed a pack of wolves. He also goes to Ichikaru's all the time."

"Ramen is not the best for your health..." Sakura said.

"Ramen. Is. The. Food. Of. The. Gods." Naruto stated.

"Whatever." Ino sighed.

"Tch. This is troublesome." Shikamaru sighed. "If you don't pass the family will be disrupted."

"Hey, Lee's not here anymore and he's still part of us!" Kiba pointed out. "Not to mention Aneki."

"Idiot. Those two got out ahead. They are waiting for us." Sasuke muttered. "That dobe has to pass or he will be left behind... and the honor of the Nara Family will be stained."

That comment quieted down everyone. Then...

"That's it!" Naruto shouted, jumping to his feet.

"What's it?" Ino asked, looking at the hyperactive boy askance.

"Aneki!"

"What about her?" Kiba asked.

"We'll ask her to help me train in my clone technique! She's an experienced ninja! She will know what to do!"

o.0.o

Haku stared at the scroll in her hand. It had arrived today, passing from person to person, contact to contact until it reached her. She was supposed to be just another contact for it to go through, but she was in reality, the person it was directed to. It was a message from Zabuza, to the Mist in the Leaves. She could imagine what it contained. At this time of the year, in her previous life, they had been contacted by a man. They had been assigned a certain assassination mission and that had changed her life. Completely.

Zabuza had sent a couple of messages like that at the beginning of the mission.

She started moving her contacts, there had to be a way to have things turn differently. And that meant presenting the case to the Hokage and a lot of planning.

Thankfully she knew what to look for already. After all, she had been preparing ahead for this one scenario all her life.

It was several hours later when Haku almost stumbled out of the interrogation building. She was exhausted with all the paperwork she had to go through. Normally the backlog wasn't too bad, but if she wanted to do what she planned, she had to finish it quickly so she could start a query of her own.

But for now, all she wanted to do was to relax. She didn't even know if she had enough energy to play shogi or go with Shikamaru.

She was surprised when she found Naruto waiting for her at home.

"Aneki!" Naruto called excitedly. "You're finally here!"

"Wha..." was all she could say before Naruto had grabbed her hands in his. She blinked twice, looking down at his hands holding hers in a vice-like grip.

"Aneki! You've got to help me! I'm getting closer to the exam dates and I can't master the basic clone technique!"

Haku shook her head. "What? You can't?" this was very strange. Admittedly she hadn't kept track of Naruto's growth in the last few years, but... he had been able to make Shadow Clones when they had met. Those were several levels higher than academy clones, which were little less than illusions.

"No! And I don't know what to do! I only have a few days!" Naruto sighed.

Haku shook her head. "What is the problem with your clones?"

"Whenever I create them, this happens!" Naruto said, proceeding to show her the failed clones. Haku tried not to laugh, and looked at Shikamaru.

Her brother nodded. "He's been practicing constantly, we've all tried to help, but it seems that he cannot do much better than that."

Naruto sat down on the floor. "I suck at illusions."

"And yet you have that completely useless technique you made up..." Shikamaru mumbled.

"The Sexy Jutsu is different." Naruto retorted.

"Whatever." Shikamaru sighed. "Sis, can you think of something? Naruto is completely useless in this technique and we are running out of ideas."

Haku sighed and looked at Naruto askance. "Have you tried other clone techniques? Does this happen with them too?"

Naruto blink-blinked. "There are _other_ clone techniques?"

Haku slapped a hand to her forehead. "What are they teaching you at the Academy?" she sighed. "Okay, Naruto, Shika, follow me. I'll show you both how to create mud clones." she said, walking past them. "Maybe those will work..."

o.0.o

"It is the first time I have seen a mud-clone explode unintentionally." Haku said, wiping mud from her face. "And did his eyes have to bloat out of his face like that? I mean... damn."

Shikamaru peeled himself off from a tree, completely covered in mud. "Tch. This will take a while to clean."

Naruto groaned when Haku poked him. "Come on, Naruto. Get up. You need to practice more."

"At least it was a partial success." Shikamaru muttered.

"It exploded!" Naruto groaned as he slowly stood up. "There's nothing left of it!"

"Well... that's not necessarily true..." Haku said, pointing to the ground next to Naruto, where two exact copies of his sandaled feet remained intact. It was a bit disturbing.

"It was much better than your previous attempts." Shikamaru pointed out.

Haku patted Naruto on the back. "Although it exploded, it was a very nice clone otherwise. It seems you are having an easier time with this one rather than the basic one. Why don't you practice it instead of the normal clone?"

Naruto groaned again, but nodded. "Okay."

Haku smiled. "Don't give up Naruto, I know you will become very strong eventually. Just... try using a bit less chakra on these, okay?"

Naruto looked at Haku askance. "Okay Aneki, if you say so."

Haku nodded, smiling at the young boy. She still remembered that day in the forest, clear as if it had been yesterday.

Shikamaru looked from one to the other before shaking his head. "Let's practice then."

o.0.o

Haku took deep breaths. The Hokage was a busy man, even if he normally went out of his way to make time for subordinates. But once you had his attention... he gave it all. There was no simple sidestepping the issue. She had dug deep, very deep. She had followed conspiracy theories, and old documents. The history of Konoha, the recent wars, she had all the information she had kept all these years, and had had to somehow find ways of proving the information she should not have... she had.

"Come in, Haku." the voice of the Sandaime was calm, cheerful even, but to her it was slightly terrifying.

"Hokage-sama." Haku bowed once she had closed the door behind her. "I have very serious and dangerous information.

The Hokage nodded, with a hand signal, two ANBU stepped from inside hidden panels into the room. "Make sure no-one interrupts us. I'll be sealing the room while I speak with Haku."

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" both ANBU saluted and stepped out of the room.

Walking to the side of the room, the Hokage bit his thumb and smeared some blood on a slight indent. Before Haku's eyes, several interconnected symbols flashed for a moment.

"We are alone and as protected from spies as I can make it, Haku." The Hokage said, walking down to sit behind his desk.

Haku nodded. "Hokage-sama. Recently I was contacted by Zabuza of the Seven Swords to join him in a mercenary venture." she started, pulling out a scroll and placing it on the table. The Sandaime looked at it, but didn't open it, waiting for her to continue. "Although he doesn't specify what mission this is, I have enough information to know who he wants us to work for."

She placed a few papers on the desk. The Hokage took them and quickly scanned them. "Although this is an interesting development, I am still not sure why all the secrecy is necessary, Haku." he said. "I am aware of who this Gatou person is. As you say in your report, he is an extremely rich individual with loose morals. But what is it that makes this all important?"

Haku nodded. "I have followed Gatou's dealings and have found worrying coincidences." she started spreading several pages. "As you well know, I was hired by the Kazekage to eliminate a businessman named Megane."

The Hokage nodded. "I read your report."

"Well, what I did not mention in my report is that I had heard of this Megane person before. I didn't make the connection then, but he was a business partner of Gatou's, along with some other individuals. Although I don't have the information on all the members of this... group, here are the names I have so far."

The Hokage took the file and flipped through it, eyes widening slightly. "Some of these individuals are very powerful. One of them is even from Konoha."

Haku nodded. "And he is not the only one. The materials that they deal with, the shipments, money transfers, arrangements, all of them are very well organized, but please take a look at this map." placing a map of the elemental countries, Haku pointed at Konoha. "Megane controlled trade from Sunagakure, Gatou is taking control of Wave, from the North we have Iwagakure, and although we are not allies, there is still a considerable amount of trading from two individuals; Katsuhito, and Ayame Inari. Even with all the political problems, they have been able to transfer goods unimpeded by anyone from there to here. And there is one more, unknown individual that has been able to trade goods from Kirigakure."

"..." the Hokage shook his head. "Looking at the nature of these products, it is clear it is military equipment."

Haku nodded. "When I looked into it, it appears that all of this has arrived unhindered to Konoha, but it hasn't been added to the right places. This equipment is feeding an army that is not supposed to exist."

"The logistics for such an enterprise are incredible." the Hokage said. "Have you been able to find who is responsible for this?"

"No..." Haku shook her head. "But, although it would seem that each individual is controlling the markets and keeping Konoha isolated, they are instead feeding something within Konoha, so my natural assumption is that the ringleader, whoever it is, is here."

The Sandaime frowned, and closed his eyes, deep in thought. "I have some ideas, Haku, but I would need much more information, and a confirmation of findings to support my theory."

Haku nodded. "Hai, Hokage-sama. This is the reason I have drafted a plan that will hopefully help us."

"You want to accept Zabuza's invitation to join him and work for Gatou." the Sandaime said. "With that, you hope to be able to find enough information to find out who is their contact here, or even who the ringleader is."

"H-hai." Haku blinked. She had never expected the Hokage to summarize her plan without her having a chance to explain it. "But it would require me to work for them for a few months."

The Hokage leaned back on his chair. He didn't like the idea of sending Haku there as an undercover agent. Being the Mist in the Leaves already had its own brand of trouble to it, but a long mission like that... "Haku, you will be surrounded by killers. Although your skills are impressive, do you think you can take Zabuza, the Demon of the Mist on your own?"

Haku shook her head. "Not on my own... but I cannot risk taking anyone with me. And communicating will be difficult."

The Hokage took a deep breath. "What do you propose?"

"I..." Haku took a deep breath herself. "I know that Wave is going to eventually send a representative here to hire a team to escort him back to Wave and help. I would like you to send Hatake Kakashi with as part of his escort... if he has a genin team it would be even better."

"I see he already told you he would try to take another team this year." the Hokage said. "But I fail to see why sending a group of genin would do anything other than mess this whole thing up."

"I will arrange things so that they can handle the situation until they arrive in Wave. Once there, Kakashi and I can take care of things."

"What about Zabuza?"

Haku remained quiet for a bit. "I would like to..." she closed her mouth and gulped. "I would like to have your permission to offer him a place in Konoha."

Sarutobi had kept his cool over all of the conversation, after all, Haku had a good head on her shoulders but this time, he stared at her, unable to believe what she had said. "Did Naruto put you up for this?"

Haku blinked. "Um. No."

The Hokage shook his head. "Haku, what makes you believe that we can trust Zabuza? This is so ludicrous I will grant you permission to do all of this if you give me one good reason for it."

Haku gulped. "Hokage-sama, I will only ask you that what I tell you right now will not, ever, leave this room."

Sarutobi looked at Haku, dead serious. "Haku, I will be the judge of that. Even if I agreed to do that, I would need to be able to tell something to the council. If Kiri found out, they would send hunter-nins all the way here to get rid of him. We would have a very serious political situation that I will not allow us to get into without a really good reason."

Haku nodded and sighed. "Zabuza is one of the few original Seven Swordsmen remaining. The reason for their rebellion was because they found out that the Mizukage was being controlled by exterior forces."

Sarutobi's eyes widened and his hands shook. "Haku, where did you get that information? No-one knows what happened in Kirigakure that night."

"Zabuza told me."

The Hokage sat back down, not even realizing he had stood up a second ago. "But... how?"

Haku shook her head. "I also know that the Mizukage used to have the three-tailed beast inside of him."

"Haku." the Hokage spoke up. "Just how much inside information do you have on Kiri?"

"Enough to know who the new Mizukage is." Haku said. "And to know that she has some sort of relationship with Zabuza which would benefit us in the long run... especially if we find out who was behind the previous Mizukage's manipulations, which I fully believe is related to this invisible army."

The Hokage contemplated Haku's words for a few minutes. "Tell me Haku, realistically, how likely is it that you will find the ringleader behind this secret army?"

"I have a few leads, Hokage-sama." Haku said. "But no names yet. I believe that Gatou is too confident in his bodyguards and security and will have some documents pointing us in the right direction."

The Hokage sighed. "Fine, Haku. You have my permission to go undercover. How long will this take?"

"Probably a couple of months." the kunoichi replied.

Sarutobi nodded. "Go ahead and prepare. I will fill out the paperwork."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

The Hokage watched Haku walk out of the door. He did have some suspicions about this invisible army, but had to wait until he had them confirmed.

"Good luck, Haku." he whispered as his ANBU walked back to take their places.

**Next Chapter:**

_Okay everyone, line up for your last test before you graduate from this Academy._

_Did you manage to learn the Bunshin, Naruto?_

_No problem! Aneki helped me learn a better one!_

And as always, reviews are welcome! Tell me what you guys think! I love hearing from you! (I'll be replying by private message from now on)


	17. Chapter 17

Myst and Leaves

by Wanderer D

Chapter 17

AN: First of all, sorry for the delay! I hope to have more time to write the next chapter soon! Also, the second part of the "Writing Process" follows this chapter. Enjoy!

o.0.o

Shikamaru knew his sister was planning something big. She had been running around from the Hokage's office down to the Interrogation HQ and back non-stop for the last month.

It was almost depressing to see her so focused on one thing to the exclusion of all others. Depressing and entirely un-Nara-like.

He sighed. Their parents had taught them both better than that.

But, to get his sister to relax a bit before something mayor would require not only his skills but that of the entire Nara Family.

He had carefully laid down his plan. His sister was so focused on the one thing that she had let slip several details that he had summed up to a startling conclusion.

"Haku is going away for a while in an undercover mission that might prove fatal."

Naruto stared at him.

Kiba choked on the water he was drinking.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

Hinata meeped.

Choji almost bit a finger off while throwing potato chips into his mouth.

Shino shrugged a bit more than normal.

Sakura and Ino looked startled, never truly realizing just how dangerous a life his sister led and Lee...

"Yosh! I can almost feel the fires of youth burning within Haku!"

"Lee... that's disturbing." Sasuke said.

Lee choked and glared at the Uchiha.

"Regardless," Shikamaru interrupted "Haku has not had a break in a long time." he held a hand up to Lee to stop him from talking. "And although I know what you will say, the bottom line is, everyone, even you Lee, needs a break. The best laid plans you can muster while under constant pressure will amount to nothing because you have not had a good chance to sit back and look at them objectively."

"So what do you propose?" Shino asked.

"I think we should all go out on a trip." Shikamaru said. "Because of the anniversary of the Second Shinobi War we have four days free. I think it is a good chance to get my troublesome sister to kick back and watch the clouds."

"Or go fishing!" Naruto said excitedly, earning a collective blink.

"And camping." Kiba said. "Imagine the stories she could tell!"

"I wouldn't bet on that." Shino said. "Remember a lot of her work is secret."

"Still..."

"I think it would be nice." Sakura said.

"But will she be willing to do it?" Kiba asked.

Shikamaru shook his head. "No. Which is the reason I called you all." he had all their attention and spent a few seconds looking into the eyes of the others. "I am going to challenge Haku through the Hokage, if we manage to defeat her, we'll get our camping trip and training."

"And if we lose?" Sasuke asked.

"We won't." Shikamaru said, surprising the others with his conviction. "If you all follow my plan, that is. And we will need some help."

Sasuke blinked. "Help?"

The Nara genius nodded. "I have in mind exactly who we need. But I'll need Naruto to go with me to meet with their superior on our behalf."

o.0.o

Haku stared at the scroll in her lap.

"_We know your secret. You escaped from Suna unscathed, but unless you meet us at training area 38, we will reveal it. All your careful planning will come to nothing."_

She didn't know how it had made her way to her office. But this could mean many things. Could it be that the underground group she had discovered was aware of her investigation? It would certainly seem plausible since the meeting place was within Konoha itself.

The scroll didn't reveal any more information and only had further instructions of not telling anyone and the time for the meeting. They had timed it well: it would take place within the hour and therefore she wouldn't be able to preempt their arrival, and she was not very familiar with the layout for training ground 38.

She threw the message down to a small chimney in her office, and with a little applied chakra she watched the paper burn to ashes. Ibiki had those installed in just about every office in the building. It was the best way to get rid of sensitive information that might fall into the wrong hands.

She shook her head. She only had a few minutes to get there in time. Standing up and hastily gathering her equipment, she started formulating different scenarios in her mind.

o.0.o

When she arrived at the training grounds she was all business. Her demeanor seemed calmed, but within, she was tense, ready to spring if anything came her way. She looked around. The area seemed completely abandoned. But she knew better.

She had barely a second to dodge the first attack, a punch, delivered with enough speed and skill that it would have certainly stunned her for a few seconds, leaving her vulnerable. She immediately reacted, sending up a hand towards her attacker's abdomen, but before she could retaliate, she had to dodge a kick to the head and dropped her counter. Both her opponents were dressed in black and had their faces covered, wearing no village symbols whatsoever.

Haku was about to attack when she had to dodge, yet again. This time a rain of kunai, that embedded themselves on the floor where she was just a second ago.

o.0.o

"Are you sure this is okay, Hokage-sama?" an ANBU asked.

The old man nodded. "Haku needs to relax a bit, and I find myself agreeing with young Shikamaru's idea." he looked around him at the gathered Jonin. "These nine pre-genin are some of the most promising students from the Academy."

"I still don't know..." Iruka interrupted. "With all due respect, Hokage-sama, but Haku might not pull her punches before she realizes just who she is fighting."

"Ah, relax, Iruka." Mizuki said, patting his friend on the back. "This is better than our normal test. We can see what these guys can do and if they have learned anything from us."

"Plus they have Gai's team working with them." Asuma said. "Although I still don't know why we are here."

Sarutobi smiled at his son. "I thought you were thinking of training a genin team? Why not observe and think what type of teams we could make with a such a tight group as this one?"

"But what about their safety?" Kurenai asked. "Haku is certainly capable of killing them."

The Hokage nodded. "She'll assess the danger before she uses killing strikes. She will recognize her attackers soon."

o.0.o

The strangers walked through the streets of Konoha, drawing little attention to themselves. Although they were cloaked, they had observed that the average citizens of this town were not very distrusting, secure in the proficiency of their ninja to guard them.

It was... cute. In a way.

They stopped after a moment and looked in the direction of Training Ground 38.

"So, I guess this is the place." One of the cloaked figures said. "Are you going to find out?"

The other remained silent for a moment. "It would be... a disservice to my student not to find out if whoever is using his power is not... up to task."

"So you have given up on finding him? After all this time trying?"

The hooded man seemed to hesitate for a moment, before nodding. "If he were still alive... or here, we would have sensed him. No-one else here has the same type of energy." He started walking away, but the hand of the other man grasped his arm, stopping him.

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay my friend." the man said. "I will observe for a while. I hope you don't mind staying for a little time?"

His friend laughed. "Not at all. I'll get some food while you observe. Let me know when everything is done."

The man simply nodded as he jumped away, leaving his friend alone.

"Now," the solitary figure said aloud. "What is it that I smell? Ramen?"

o.0.o

Haku noticed several things. First, the plan seemed to be very well thought out. Second, they were succeeding in keeping her on her toes for as long as she was willing to play their game. Third... almost all of them were shorter than her.

With a growl, she stopped defending, breaking the cycle as she suddenly punched one of them in the thigh and threw another over her shoulder, the third one seemed too surprised to block the straight punch to the stomach.

"Now!" a familiar voice shouted as suddenly she was attacked by a cloud of insects.

"You'll have to try better than that, Shino!" she growled, letting a bit of cold aura surround her. The beetles still advanced, but when encountering the cold air tried to circumvent it, leaving a line straight to their master.

"Damn." Shino said as Haku sent several senbon needles flying at him. He dodged out of the way, running to the side as another brawler jumped in to fight her. The one she had hit on the stomach was up and attacking her again, while the one she had punched in the thigh was struggling to get up.

This one was a much better fighter than she expected and suddenly she was on the defensive again, the brawler she punched in the stomach suddenly hit her arm and she felt it go numb.

_Hyuga! _She thought. That would mean... Neji. Hinata was much shorter.

"You cannot win unless you take us seriously." he said, confirming her suspicions.

"Trust me, Neji, you don't want me to!" she said, as she jumped back, her hands flashing through seals.

o.0.o

The Jonin laughed as they watched the fight from afar. There was a running betting pool, ranging from who would hit who to who had the highest chances of bringing Haku down, with Gai's team being at the top.

Already a few Jonin were also taking notes for future ideas in Genin groups, while Iruka and Mizuki observed the fight carefully.

"It seems Haku is having fun." Sarutobi said.

"Yes, but we still have to see who will emerge victorious now that she knows she cannot hurt them." Asuma said.

The Hokage nodded. "Regardless of the result, Haku is bound to get their point."

o.0.o

Haku was smiling as she dodged kunais and jumped back, hands flashing as she called out: "Suiton: Teppōdama no Jutsu!" opening her mouth she shot out a fist-sized water bullet that hit Tenten in the stomach.

She barely had time to cross her arms in front of her to block Lee's kick, which sent her flying. She twisted in the air, and landed a few feet in front of Lee, who was panting. She made a quick check. Two brawlers, slowly circling her. Those would be Naruto and Kiba. One of them was limping from the paralyzing cold she had used on their leg.

Another brawler was on the floor groaning. Their build was slightly thinner than the others, so it would be either Sakura or Ino, since Hinata was a bit shorter.

Neji was just getting up from where she had sent him flying with a snowball. Tenten seemed to be out for now, laying down where she had landed.

She tensed and ducked, grabbing the arm of the attacker that had tried to stab her from behind, twisting, she sent whoever it was to crash against one of the two brawlers. The second one attacked, leg impeding his movements.

Haku dodged to the left and followed the motion by crouching and knocking his feet from under him with a sweeping kick. The yelp confirmed the identity of this one as Naruto.

It was then that the two new attackers came in, forcing her to move back. Choji, also dressed completely in black was attacking her with a speed that surprised her, considering his size. Out of all of them, with the exception of Lee and Neji, he packed the strongest punch.

The other one, with simple efficiency and calculated attacks could be no other than Sasuke. Haku grinned and rolled forward, and as soon as she stood up, her hands had finished another set of seals. Two clones formed next to her, and both Sasuke and Choji seemed taken aback as they attacked.

Choji didn't react in time and one of the clones punched him. Sasuke, startled, managed to dodge the attack of the second clone, but after slugging Choji, the first clone kicked him in the stomach, forcing the air out of his lungs with a painful "ooph".

"Take this!" Tenten suddenly shouted, as kunai flew in her direction. Surprised, Haku simply dodged, noticing that the kunai sliced through her water clones, destroying them.

It was then that Hinata ran out straight at her, Haku tried to bring her hands up for a seal, but suddenly she was unable to move as Hinata finally reached her and punched, stopping her hand just in front of Haku's face.

"I-I think you should surrender now, Aneki." Hinata said softly.

Haku struggled to move again, and sighed. "Fine. You got me there, Shika."

From the shadows of the forest, Shikamaru smiled. "You are too troublesome. For a moment I really thought my plan might fail."

o.0.o

"That's really impressive." Mizuki said.

"You seem intrigued, Asuma." Sarutobi said.

"Old man, I will train a Genin team if Shikamaru is in it."

The Hokage simply smiled and nodded. The other Jonin also seemed interested.

"I'd like Naruto and Ino to be in mine... still haven't decided on the third..." Kurenai said.

"No way in hell, I want Naruto. You can have Kiba." Anko smiled. "I would like to work with Shino."

"Fine. Sakura might be a good choice too, she seems well balanced, even if she needs the most practice out of all of them."

"She doesn't come from a ninja family." Sarutobi said. "Ino does, and she should be much better than she is. My guess is that someone is slacking on training her."

"Sasuke seems to be training hard." Kakashi said. "I am glad to see him working in a team like that. With the right teammates, maybe Choji or Naruto, we could have a very effective heavy combat team."

"Yosh! It's great to see you interested in teaching, my rival!"

"Only if they pass the test." Kakashi said, glancing at Gai.

The green spandex-wearing man grinned and nodded.

"Your team did pretty well too, Gai." Iruka said.

The green beast of Konoha nodded. "In battle situations they are an excellent team."

"And assuming all of them graduate, the Nara Family seems to be made of really sturdy material." Mizuki said, a strange glint in his eye.

"Well it seems its settled then." Iruka said. "We should explain the situation to Haku..."

The Hokage nodded. "Let's go. The rest of you, if you wish to discuss here the situation of the Genin prospects, you are welcome to."

As the Jonin nodded, the teacher and the Hokage left the room.

o.0.o

"So what is this all about then?" Haku asked, looking at her brother.

"Maybe we should explain."

When she heard the Hokage's voice she was very surprised, but given the effort her brother had gone through, it shouldn't have surprised her to find out several other individuals would be involved.

"I would appreciate that, Hokage-sama." she said.

As the group of pre-Genin and Genin gathered around, the Hokage smiled. "It is the general belief of these young friends of yours that you have been working too hard. An estimation which I am inclined to agree with."

"But..."

"We don't know what you have to do, or what mission you are going to now, sis..." Shikamaru started to say, only to be interrupted by Naruto.

"But we cannot let you go for a while without spending some time with you!" the energetic boy said with a big grin.

"Guys..." Haku shook her head. "You don't understand."

Sasuke snorted. "It's you who doesn't understand."

"When you come back we will be Genin already." Hinata said.

"We're all your friends, we would like to see you a bit more often!" Kiba said as Akamaru trotted up to them.

"It seems only logical to take the steps necessary to achieve that." Shino said.

While Sakura and Ino only nodded, Neji spoke up. "Although I am not a part of the Nara Family, I can tell you Haku that you should know that if you overwork yourself, you will lose sight of your objectives."

Haku seemed to consider that and Shikamaru, although surprised by Neji's input, decided to take advantage of that. "Thanks to the Second Shinobi War Anniversary, we will have a few days to relax. Come with us. It would be too troublesome to have to wait several months to see you again."

Haku laughed, her shoulders relaxed. "Maybe I have been working too much."

The Hokage nodded. "I will let Ibiki know that you..."

"There's no need for that, Hokage-sama." a voice said from nearby.

"Ibiki?" Sarutobi blinked. "What brings you here?"

The man just pointed at Haku. "You didn't think she would come over here and risk everything without reporting to me, right? If it had been a real fight, the whole interrogation department would have landed on her opponent's heads to help her."

The collective Genin gulped.

o.0.o

From the shadows the man in the cloak watched, impassive.

"Haku, huh?" he shook his head. "Playing child games... you are almost too care-free."

He noticed the old man with them tense and turn his way. He was about to leave when the man spoke. "Why don't you come out here where we can see you? You are good, I almost missed you."

o.0.o

When the Hokage spoke, immediately Ibiki, Haku and Iruka were in front of the Genins. Gai's team assumed battle stances. They all waited and soon a man in a white cloak walked out.

His face and head were covered by a hood. He was wearing simple clothes, no weapons to be seen, although the way he handled himself made it clear he was a warrior. His arms were bandaged up to the elbows, and he was as tall as Ibiki.

"My apologies." The man said, bowing low. "I heard the battle as I walked through town and decided to take a quick look. I hope I haven't gotten into too much trouble."

The Hokage looked at the man carefully. "Why are you in Konoha? You don't seem to be a ninja or a civilian."

The man chuckled. "I am neither, as you guessed. I am merely a traveling monk, I and my brother decided to partake of your hospitality by staying the night at one of your inns and also to re-supply before continuing our travels."

The Hokage nodded. "If it is indeed as you say, don't fear getting into trouble. This is only a training exercise for our young Genin-to-be."

The man bowed again, this time less deeply. "I apologize for stumbling into your exercise. I will depart now, with your leave."

The group watched the man turn and walk away in silence.

"He was way too smooth." Ibiki said. "I think he believes he could take us all and win."

The Hokage looked thoughtful, but nodded. "Ibiki, assign the best trained ANBU to follow him and his brother. Tell them only to report, and not engage unless they break the law."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Ibiki said with a nod, before disappearing in a swirl of leaves.

o.0.o

"How did it go?"

The man shrugged, sitting down next to his friend and ordering a plate of ramen. "I got caught. And now we're being watched."

The other hooded man laughed a bit, earning a glare from his friend. "Sorry, sorry. But how was it?"

The man sighed. "She's good. Tough. Not him..." his friend could almost hear the sad smile. "I took too long to get here."

His friend shook his head. "At least his legacy lives on."

"The potential she has..." the man laughed a bit and ordered some sake. "If I had found her and trained her... but that's impossible now."

His friend seemed to hesitate. "Are you sure, maybe if you offered..."

The man shook his head. "No. She's too old now, and she has a life worth living here. I came to find him, and found that he had died a long time ago."

"Perhaps now that you know what happened _she_ could help?"

The man seemed to think as the ramen was set in front of him. He picked up chopsticks and let them rest in the soup for a bit. "I can feel the ice inside her. She knows how to use it well. I had my chance, with my own student. We changed the face of the earth, not once... but three times. Two of them with he and his brothers at his side. My time as a teacher is ended."

"Heh. If the old master heard you. He wouldn't even laugh before he smacked you upside the head."

The man chuckled. "The old master is a busy-body. I thought I'd stay for a bit and see if I could teach her to understand her power better... but her power is not the same as mine. There's little I could teach her in the way of combat that would benefit her as it is. She is not going to be one of us."

"_They_ knew it was too late." his friend said softly. He dug in his robe and produced a small bag. "As his heir she should at least own these mementos."

The man shifted, revealing dark blue eyes. He stared at the bag for a moment. "I can only think of her as his daughter... somehow she has his same naive idea about attachment to people that are not part of their lives anymore..."

His friend shook his head. "Really..."

The man laughed and drank some sake. "Yes, the irony of my situation is not lost on me." he sighed as he finished his cup and put it down. "Perhaps... perhaps there is still something I might teach her... to go with those messages and memories stored in these mementos." he shook the bag a little and something inside tinkled.

His friend remained quiet for a moment. "Whatever you teach or tell her, don't drag her into a life even more complicated than this. Remember she is a ninja... it is a completely different life-style than ours."

"Some would disagree..." the man started to say, but stopped.

o.0.o

"Man that fight was awesome, Aneki!" Naruto said as they walked towards Ichikaru's Ramen.

"Yes, all of you have become an impressive group of fighters." Haku said with a smile. She now had a spring to her step that she hadn't had before, Shikamaru noticed. His sister seemed to be much more relaxed now, after their fight.

"It'll be troublesome to graduate without showing you what we can do." he said with a shrug. "At least you can now see you are leaving Konoha in good hands."

Haku smirked.

Slowly all of the Nara family had left to go home, some in better shape than others. Naruto had stated his intention of getting some ramen and the two siblings, along with Choji and Sasuke had decided to join him.

As they chatted they approached the stand, and to their surprise found the man that had been watching their fight, along with another person dressed the same.

The group was immediately wary, although all the stranger did was look at them, shrug and returned to eat his ramen.

Now that she was close enough, she could see the other person was also a man, who glanced from her to the other robed man with amused jade colored eyes before returning to his meal.

The silence was broken by Ichiraku, who smiled as he saw the blonde ninja-to-be. "Ah, Naruto! Come on in and have a seat, what will you have today?" the jovial man smiled and nodded at the rest as they walked and sat down, each made an order and sat down, warily observing their neighbors.

After a few minutes of silence Naruto couldn't handle the wait anymore. "So why were you spying on us while we fought aniki?" he demanded, glaring at the tall man on the other side of the stand.

"I wasn't spying." The man replied. "Spying implies I was gathering data to report to someone. I was observing for my own benefit and therefore satisfying my curiosity. Nothing more, nothing less."

Naruto opened and closed his mouth a few times before settling for glaring at the man.

"But wouldn't you be able to satisfy your curiosity without hiding?" Shikamaru asked.

The man nodded. "Indeed. However, there was a high chance of being mistaken for an opponent if I just walk into the area of conflict. Therefore a more considerate and less obvious approach would be to my benefit."

"You seemed very confident when confronted by several ninja and the Hokage." Saskue said, looking at both men carefully. "Shouldn't you have been a bit nervous? Or do you think you can take on all of them at the same time?"

The man chuckled. "There was no reason to be nervous. The Hokage is known to be a smart and understanding man."

Haku frowned. "Are you implying that he is too soft?"

The man looked at her and froze her in place with his stare. "No. I mean that he was able to recognize that I had no ill intentions when being there. And since I had not broken any laws, I was confident that he would know that it was a misunderstanding."

His friend touched his shoulder and he looked away. Haku then remembered to breathe. That had not been killing intent. It was something else entirely... as if the weight of the world had suddenly been thrust on her with just a glance.

The man and his friend exchanged a silent glance, then they stood up. "Hey, old man." the one with jade eyes called, putting down a few golden coins on the counter. "Treat this young lady and her friends on the change from this, will you?"

Ichiraku looked wide-eyed at the coins and then up. "A-are you sure? That's enough for..."

The man with blue eyes shrugged. "They are all either ninja or ninja to be, they must have a healthy appetite." he turned to look at the surprised group. "Consider this an apology for intruding on your practice earlier. Good evening."

The group watched them walk away in silence.

"They are strong." Sasuke said with certainty. "Very strong."

Haku nodded thoughtfully, while Shikamaru shook his head. "Troublesome."

"I wonder what they are really doing here." Choji said, already looking over the menu for his next choice.

"It doesn't matter!" Naruto said suddenly. "They can't be stronger than the Hokage, right Aneki?"

Haku was silent for a moment. "No, probably not."

"Damn right!" Naruto said. "Now, bring me three beef ramen old man! I want the works!"

o.0.o

That night Haku sat in her room, thinking. She had finished packing her equipment for camping and now had time to contemplate.

It was easy for her to lose herself in the hopes and preparations for getting Zabuza-sama back... or at least help him survive. Had it been anyone but Kakashi, she was sure the outcome would have been very different... without some possible exceptions.

Although a lot of the Jonin in Konoha were exceptional, the truth of the matter was that few were as combat oriented as Kakashi was. Had Kurenai gone in his stead, Haku wasn't very sure the illusions expert would have survived the experience.

This didn't imply Kurenai was weak... only that it was a bad match against a much more experienced opponent, such as Zabuza-sama.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Standing up, she slid the door open and found her brother standing there.

"You have to come to the lake." he huffed.

"What happened?"

Shikamaru sighed. "It's too troublesome to explain... come and see for yourself."

o.0.o

The box was right in the center of the lake, where the small pieces of dry land had granted enough support for it. They were covered in starch now, as the cold that emanated from the box itself was incredible. Water had frozen around it.

Haku was sure that it had not been there a few hours ago. She, along with most of the Nara elders, some ANBU and the Hokage were standing on the calm waters of the lake gazing at it in awe. It was completely made of ice. It was as tall as Kakashi, and had strange symbols etched into it. They looked slightly familiar, but she could not approach any closer with everyone around. She could see through the ice, it was that perfect... and in the center, frozen in place was a small brown bag, half open and at an odd angle, as if someone had tossed it aside only for it to be captured in the middle of the ice box.

"Hokage-sama..." one of the Nara elders approached Sarutobi with a bow. "Do you know what this is or where it came from?"

Sarutobi shook his head. "No. This is as much a mystery to me as it is for you."

She approached the structure and touched it, it was so cold it burned her hand and she quickly removed it. "It's... amazing." She looked at the letters etched into it. Then, looked inside at the small bag.

When she gasped, she drew everyone's attention.

"What is it, Haku?" Kakashi asked.

"I've seen that before..." she said, pointing straight at the bag. "It is the bag the monks had with them earlier tonight."

Sarutobi shot Kakashi a glance, and the ninja nodded, disappearing in a blur.

"Do you think they are responsible for this?" Shikaku asked.

"They seem to be involved." The Hokage answered. "What I intend to find out is the level of their involvement."

Kakashi returned within a few minutes. "ANBU reports that they are gone... no one saw them leave, except the Inn keep, who said they informed him they had decided to leave tonight and left him payment for the whole night regardless."

Sarutobi nodded. "What about the ANBU assigned to them?"

"They are fine, Hokage-sama." Kakashi reported. "They have signs of having been submitted to a Genjutsu of some sort."

The Hokage nodded. "Very well, have them go to the hospital for a check-up and organize a search for the monks."

"Already done, Hokage-sama." Kakashi said.

o.0.o

"That Uchiha kid is going to be trouble for the whole place." the man with blue eyes said, looking at the distant village.

His friend chuckled. "Maybe. Let them deal with it though."

The man sighed, letting a smile adorn his face. "Fine."

"Are you happy with your choice?"

"There's little to be done about it now." The man looked at his hands. "I left her his mementos. And I left her in the Ice Coffin itself the prospect of all the techniques she can invent of find with Ice. That will not break the flow of her life here, but will let her be closer to him... in spirit, if not power."

"Do you think she will ever figure it out?"

"The kid's smart. Either way, those belong in this world now."

The man with the violet eyes nodded and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Then let us leave this place forever, and his memory in their hands."

o.0.o

Tsume frowned as she stood in front of the Hokage. She couldn't meet his gaze after giving her report. Besides her, Kuromaru shifted. Behind her, the ANBU team that had accompanied her stood. _Easy for them to hide behind their masks and me._ She thought.

"So their tracks and scent ended suddenly." Sarutobi stated.

Tsume nodded.

"And the only sign was this golden light you saw in the distance?"

"It was, Hokage-sama." one of the ANBU answered.

"We followed the trail a few times, just to make sure we hadn't missed anything." Tsume confirmed. "Kuromaru also told me that their smell was all around the ice box at the Nara Lake."

The Hokage nodded. "Have our experts at decryption look at it. For now, there is nothing we can do."

"What about the contents, Hokage-sama?" Tsume asked.

"We tried braking it." Sarutobi said after a moment. "It didn't work. We might have to wait until it melts."

Tsume nodded and the Hokage smiled. "Don't worry, Tsume, I am sure everything will clear up soon. Go rest now. All of you."

o.0.o

As the proud matriarch of the Inuzuka walked out, Sarutobi sighed. He had a copy of the message on the "ice box", but it was clear that it went beyond a simple code. The way it was organized indicated another language altogether.

"Send Haku in."

Haku walked into the Hokage's office lost in thought. She had almost talked to Tsume when she had seen her walk out, but the annoyed expression on her face discouraged the young kunoichi from approaching.

"Haku." Sarutobi looked hard at her. "Are you sure there were no other members of the Asano Clan?"

"None, Hokage-sama." Haku answered. "The bloodline was considered all but dead and according to the family tree I am the first one in generations to show it."

The Hokage nodded. "It is not impossible to achieve similar ice effects by mixing Wind and Water jutsu. But the strength of this one..."

"It's incredible." Haku said after a moment. "Something about the code seemed familiar, and when I touched it... it almost seemed like the power they used was similar to mine..."

"We already have our best people working on decrypting the code." Sarutobi said. "It will take some time."

"I take it from Tsume's expression that they were not able to find the monks?"

The old ninja shook his head. "They are gone. I have issued a warning about them, but until we see them again, there seems to be no way of following."

Haku nodded.

"Now. Although the last events threw everyone into a panic, I think it is time for you to relax." Sarutobi said, smiling when Haku looked surprised. "You did concede the victory to Shikamaru, and now you have to follow the rules."

"I wasn't aware there were rules." Haku said with a raised eyebrow.

"You are taking the Nara Family and Gai's team to camp out and train."

"What? But..." Haku stammered and blinked. "What about my work on the Zabuza lead?"

Chuckling, Sarutobi motioned for her to calm down, something that she achieved only to a certain extent.

"The truth is, Haku, that you need to take some time off. Enjoy life a little. Even ANBU take a break from time to time. It's not healthy to over-work yourself, regardless of your motives."

Haku sighed. "Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Cheer up, Haku. It's some time to enjoy with your brother and friends."

Haku smiled a bit at that. "Yeah, that's true."

o.0.o

When had she last done something like this? Haku smiled as she set her backpack down right next to her brother's. It seemed like forever. It had been, at two or three times at most that she and Shikamaru had done this with their parents. And mostly at their mother's insistence.

But camping with the future genin and team Gai was an experience she was sure to remember. Gai himself and Kurenai had come along to appease most of the Clan Heads since the group included just about every single clan of some importance in Konoha. Here they were: Uchiha, Hyuga, Nara, Inuzuka, Akimichi, Aburame and Yamanaka... all of them working together and having a good time. Even old fights had been forgotten as they had arrived, tired and hungry to their camping spot.

Soon tents had been set up and everyone had gathered around a fire.

"Yosh!" Gai said loudly. "You youthful students should go to bed tonight! Tomorrow morning we start training!"

There was much groaning, accompanied by some random words, "troublesome" amongst them.

"Now, now." Haku smiled. "I don't want to hear to many complaints. We won't be training all day..." she glared at Gai as he was about to say something and he prudently closed his mouth. "We won't." she repeated. "But it will benefit you guys to practice a bit with an existing team. Remember that you still have to pass the academy test to graduate!"

"Few academy students have had a chance to train with three Jonin before graduating." Kurenai reminded them. "This is your chance to get stronger and better your chances to graduate."

It was no surprise to Shikamaru to notice that Sasuke was all ears and completely concentrating on the Jonin's words. He shook his head.

"We should set the watch for tonight." Kurenai continued. "Since Naruto is out, someone else will take first watch, he'll take the second."

"I'll do the second watch with Naruto." Haku offered.

"I don't mind doing first." Shino said.

"Yosh!" Gai stood up. "I'll take first watch with Aburame-san."

After a few minutes, the shifts were decided. There would be four shifts every night. And since there were more than enough people, the rounds would be different pairs each night.

o.0.o

Naruto groaned when someone shook his shoulder. He turned, sliding deeper into his sleeping bag. When whoever it was insisted, he finally opened his eyes and looked around, confused as to where he was. Blinking to clear his eyes, he eventually focused on Haku.

"Aneki..." he yawned. "What's happening?"

Haku smirked. "Come on Naruto, it's our turn for the watch."

Shaking his head, and still more asleep than awake, Naruto followed her out of the tent he shared with Sasuke-teme and Shino. Barely registering when the bug specialist nodded in his direction as he made his way into the tent.

"Come on."

A bit more awake, Naruto finally sat down next to Haku near the remains of the fire.

"Do you think we will be attacked?" he asked, trying to hide his nervousness.

Haku shook her head. "I doubt it. But let's be alert, just in case."

Naruto nodded and stared into the forest.

Some time passed and the area was quiet. Naruto shifted and looked at Haku. "Ne, Aneki..."

When he had Haku's attention he continued. "How did you become so strong?"

Haku regarded Naruto for a while. She had a sudden image of the young ninja-to-be passed out on the flowers in the small glade a morning a life-time away. She had been trying to heal Zabuza and had gone out to gather some medicinal herbs.

Her conversation with Naruto had changed a lot of things for her.

She sighed and looked at the sky. "There are many ways of being strong, Naruto. For the longest time I thought to be strong was part of being a tool- Shinobi have dangerous lives, but we always work for someone. We risk our well-being to fulfill a contract, or to achieve a dangerous mission. Some shinobi don't see the difference between them, and say, a sword."

"But, what happens to them afterwards? Don't they feel anything?" Naruto asked with a frown.

"Yes, but it dulls over time. Eventually I understood something... the way to be strong... the strongest... is to fight for others... fight to be able to defend your friends or family, your village... when someone is precious to you, they give you a strength you can feel when you need it the most."

"Who is precious to you, Aneki?" Naruto asked after a few seconds of silence.

"You, silly." Haku laughed when Naruto's face went pink. "And everyone in this camp... my parents, the Hokage... and others."

"Ah... hehe, of course." Naruto said nervously.

"Always remember, Naruto... the strength of Konoha is on its teams for a reason... when you fight alongside others for a higher purpose than your own strength, then you will find that you are stronger than you even thought."

The pair remained quiet for the rest of their watch.

Next chapter:

We join the "Nara Family" once again at camp... and then Haku leaves to meet with Zabuza.

Author's notes:

Mist and Leaves

by Wanderer D

The Writing Process

Part 2

Gaara is one of the Narutoverse's most beloved characters. Almost always staying in the top 10 character polls and a frequent main character in more than one fic. As much as people love Naruto, Gaara seems to draw even more of an emotional reaction at times; he is the dark Naruto, in other words, he is what he could have become if he had let hatred and fear rule his life.

Each character in this story is affected by Haku's presence, and Gaara is no different. But several issues have to be dealt with carefully when writing Gaara.

He's not a teddy-bear or someone that you give a balloon to and will become your friend. (Unless you are writing comedy.) He is a merciless killer in his quest for recognition of himself and of who he is beneath the monster in the eyes of those that are closest to him. (ie. Temari, Kankuro and later on Baki.)

You cannot convince him to be on your side with simple logic. The reason that it doesn't work like that is that Gaara is too guarded against that, being betrayed by the one person he had a true connection with made him wary of simple guidance by logic, after all, logic can be twisted and words alone can be lies.

That is the reason that it took Naruto himself to bring Gaara back by pounding him onto next week. He had to see what he could become even if people feared him. He had to see what possibilities lied in controlling his anger; in learning to trust. Unless you grab Gaara at a young age in a fan fic it is almost always impossible to convincingly change him by pure logic (Gaara would have crushed them into a paste while they preached away).

And so, my task seems difficult... how will Haku affect Gaara? However, I am not trying to change him by means of logic or reasoning... Haku can do what many others can't: she can fight him and survive, maybe even win if she is tricky.

But getting them to fight is not as easy as throwing them in a rink together and waiting for someone to emerge victorious. And so, I used the Mist in the Leaves persona to create an opportunity for the Kazekage to try to get rid of Gaara for the last time before Orochimaru comes in.

So, into these calculations came Temari and Kankuro. Both of them are afraid of Gaara, but even then, when they thought Naruto was going to kill him, they were quick to try and save him.

In the end, the change to Gaara's personality until the Chunin exams will be little, despite Haku's success in defeating him.

This one instance of loyalty from his siblings will logically seem to him as nothing more than interest in a weapon, rather than in who he is. Will it cast some doubts? Yes, but it is not enough to change who he is. If anything, it will turn him into a more dangerous opponent. Haku's interference will probably affect Temari and Kankuro much more.

As the Wave mission came up, I think I hit the mother of all difficult dialogues. I have to somehow get Haku to convince the Hokage to allow him to join Zabuza working under Gatou.

Now, I hate cop-out in stories where things of such a difficult nature are solved within two lines or one paragraph. This has to be in depth, and to me, it is like playing a game of Go and the Hokage is a very tough opponent.

I hate fics that make the Hokage seem like a dimwit. In some stories I have read, he gets convinced to do something completely idiotic in the grand scheme of things, and altogether unreasonable if you stop to think about it, but it is simply done because the author of that particular fic wants to push his idea without really thinking how the characters would react.

Although it gets the story moving towards where they want it to, to me, it just means they are lazy.

This does not mean that I think all stories that do that are crap, I just feel cheated. If they have the energy to write an otherwise great story, why not spend some of it making it credible?

I mean, if we are writing fics about a show, we love it enough to show some respect to it, right? Anyway, enough ranting.

The conversation with the Hokage was difficult to manage. For more reasons than the one above. I had to decide whether to allow it to be read or simply jump forward in time and reveal what was said in a flashback.

I decided to expose the whole conversation... I think it creates a bit more interest in the resolution of the Wave Arc, and as we approached the graduation and eventually Team 7's mission to Wave, it seemed the right thing to do.

Chapter 17 took a while to write for many reasons, most of them personal, but on the other side, there is also the feeling that I have to make this one a good chapter I'm not sure I have managed that but I think it sets up for chapter 18 nicely and helped me sort through some ideas I had for the story. Although I have put this weight on my own shoulders, the truth is that Haku's character build-up must reach a true turnabout here.

Haku is going to be re-united with Zabuza, he is back in Wave, Tazuna is going to get killed but for the efforts of Team 7; Naruto will have to face the Mist in the Leaves, Kakashi will have to face Zabuza, Haku's plans will come face to face with destiny and history at the same time and along with that, Gatou has more underhanded deals seeping deep into Konoha.

But, also there was something important that had been missing, and as Lousy Poet Automaton pointed it out to me on the review, I realized how true the words were: Haku had drifted away from the gang. That was something that had to be addressed appropriately and which forced me to create an encounter with the Nara Family.

The challenge was a welcome one as it put the writing gears to work, and as the little subplot advanced I started tying up a few ideas I had into it. Meaning a new mysterious character coming into Haku's life, catching up with the wolves and well, just getting it done! It's easy to get distracted by real life when writing, especially when it throws you really big changes.

However, I digress.

Returning to the fic, this time I had to approach it with several days of not writing in between parts. As such, new ideas popped up and I ended up writing several scenes instead of a progressive story, out of which I had to make sense. Once our new characters were in it [the story] my thought process about their relation to Haku (although to me it is clear as to _how_ they are related, _how_ they would influence her is another matter) seeped into their dialogues- too much stuff would turn this story into, well, something that it is not supposed to be. I thought however, that it would not do to deny her the part of her heritage that she has discovered in this story.

An important part to remember is also the reason behind all these people suddenly appearing in her life that were not there before. As I am writing this, it has not surfaced in the story (although it will) and therefore I will not comment too much on it other than to say:

Yes, I do have a method to this madness, and no, they will not turn her into an über-powerful ninja capable of taking all of Akatsuki with her hands tied behind her back... although it should come as no surprise to the readers that she will be much more powerful than she was in the original story and she will be more so than she would have been had she ("he" in canon, for the puritans out there) survived. I already have certain limits that she will never cross (and that includes sage mode, for example) and I intend to stick to them.

One of the reasons that chapter 17 also took a bit of time to finish was that during the camping trip several ideas came to mind, but due to time I was half tempted to end it short with "the camping trip flashed by and before they knew it they were on their way back to Konoha" but... well, if I were in my reader's shoes I would feel cheated.

As such I left it where it felt "right" to leave it for now. Haku is reconnecting with her friends and it is setting up nicely for a couple of ideas I had been turning around in my head for the future of the story.

End Part 2


End file.
